Getty Eagles WR DeSean Jackson hit almost 22 miles per hour, according to Next Gen Stats.
It’s been widely speculated and now rumors are turning into reports. DeSean Jackson is targeting a return to the field.
The speedy receiver was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 5 and given a small chance to make a playoff comeback. Jackson isn’t eligible to return until the divisional round of the playoffs, so the Eagles would need to take care of business in the wild-card round first (assuming they beat the Giants and get into the postseason at all). Either way, it appears the 33-year-old is ahead of schedule on his rehab.
According to ESPN’s Tim McManus, Jackson recently clocked 19 miles-per-hour and the speed threat is “feeling good.” The report echoes comments Jackson made last week when discussing the possibility of a playoff return. He was clocked at 21.4 miles-per-hour in Week 1, good enough for the third-fastest time of any player in the league.
DeSean Jackson is expecting to re-join the team on the field should the Eagles advance to the divisional round of the playoffs, a source said. He is feeling good and clocking 19 mph in rehab. Not eligible to return from IR until Round 2 of postseason.
Five days ago, Jackson told reporters that he was eyeing a return for the postseason. He wanted to be at “110-percent” health.
“I’m doing everything I can continuously to put myself in the best position I can to get to 100-percent and even better than that, 110-percent,” Jackson told reporters, via 6abc’s Jeff Skvervsky. “Just taking it day by day but we’ll see when the time presents itself. We’ll see and hopefully, I’ll be ready.”
DeSean Jackson Still Fastest Man in NFL?
According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Jackson was the third-fastest ball-carrier in Week 1 after the analytics website tracked him at 21.4 miles per hour.
To put that in perspective, a cheetah has been gauged between 60 and 75 mph while a tiger sprints between 30 and 40 mph. That’s pretty good company for a human, even better for a human that plays wide receiver for the Eagles.
After that game, head coach Doug Pederson was asked specifically about how fast Jackson was going against the Redskins. He rounded the number up to 22 mph, then added that his game speed is about six miles quicker than his practice speed.
“It’s a different speed. DeSean will tell you, he’s got practice speed and he’s got game speed,” Pederson told reporters. “Practice speed is around 16 miles per hour and game speed is up to 22. He’s a gamer. He’s dynamic, he’s electric, and he loves when the lights come on. That speed is real, and we saw it Sunday.”
Social Media (Sometimes) Doesn’t Lie
DeSean Jackson has been a fixture on social media ever since arriving in the league. The best way to gauge his rehab progress is to check his Instagram account.
The Eagles receiver often posts workout videos and training sessions, especially on the “Stories” function. Jackson recently posted a training montage of himself wearing a Superman t-shirt and gold cleats and captioned it with the following message: “On the road to 100% I’m work’n like crazy !! You ever notice when you go thru struggles in your life how you bounce bac stronger and come out on top !! Pay attention.”
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