Getty Eagles WR Jalen Reagor is dealing with a thumb injury, on top of the torn labrum he suffered in camp.
Jalen Reagor continues to defy the odds in Philadelphia, one injury after another. The Eagles’ top draft pick is expected to be taken off IR and activated for Sunday night’s game versus Dallas. Reagor has been rehabbing from thumb surgery since Sept. 24 after battling back from a torn labrum to start the year.
It takes a strong body to heal and an even stronger mind to block it out and return ahead of schedule. He’s done it, twice. It all comes down to knowing your body.
“It’s all mental. If you want to get back, you’ll get back,” Reagor told reporters on Friday. “If you want to keep nursing the injury, you’re going to keep nursing it. It’s all mental. People don’t really realize that and people try to put a stamp on when I’ll come back, but nobody knows my body better than me.”
#FlyEaglesFly WR Jalen Reagor will play Sunday night vs. #Cowboys, per source.
Quick recovery for the team's first-round pick.
— Geoff Mosher (@GeoffMosherNFL) October 29, 2020
Blocking out a physical injury is one thing but Reagor has had to deal with complaints that the Eagles chose the wrong rookie receiver. He was selected 21st overall and some of his first-year counterparts taken later in the draft — for example, Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson (22), San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk (25), Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins (33) — are all thriving and healthy. Jefferson has been virtually unstoppable, his name forever lighting up sports talk radio lines in Philly.
“I want to see everyone succeed,” Reagor said when asked about the other rookies. “So I’m just going to continue to stay in my lane and be focused on me and the Eagles’ organization and move forward from there.”
Yards vs single coverage among 1st RD WRs
1. Justin Jefferson – 302
2. Jerry Jeudy – 138
3. Henry Ruggs III – 118
4. CeeDee Lamb – 92
5. Brandon Aiyuk – 60
6. Jalen Reagor – 55
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Reagor Can ‘Change Game in a Heartbeat’
Don’t bring that noise about Jefferson being better than Reagor around Carson Wentz. The Eagles quarterback went on record comparing his unique skillset — his combination of speed and power, per Wentz — to Falcons All-Pro Julio Jones.
The comments raised eyebrows and expectations when he said it back in August. Two months later, Wentz isn’t backing down. He believes Reagor can change the “dynamic” of the Eagles’ offense.
“Just what you can do with him in the screen game, and down the field. He’s a guy that has run-after-catch ability,” Wentz told reporters on Wednesday. “Obviously, it’s been very limited, the sample size but we see it in practice. We see the explosiveness that he brings and how he can change a game in a heartbeat.”
What About Travis Fulgham’s Role?
Travis Fulgham has turned into a superstar in Philly overnight. With Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson both injured, the former sixth-round draft pick of the Lions has morphed into Wentz’s number one receiver and a guy he can count on in the clutch.
Travis Fulgham, asked if there’s anything from Jalen Reagor’s game that he’d like to have: “I’d love to have his speed. I ain’t gonna lie.” #Eagles.
He boldly proclaimed himself to be “My Dream, Your Nightmare” and then backed it up. Reagor’s return has some in the know worried about Fulgham’s role getting reduced. Maybe there aren’t enough football to go around. Fulgham, who has 23 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns in four games, isn’t concerned.
“I’m not too worried about that,” Fulgham said. “Jalen is a great player and he definitely adds a lot to our offense. Hopefully, when we get him back, he’ll do what he does and just make plays for us.”
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