Getty Eagles receivers Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson only played one season together as teammates in Philadelphia.
DeSean Jackson has been back practicing with the Philadelphia Eagles this week and there is a good chance he sees the field again this year. The team has 21 days to add the 34-year-old speedster to the active roster.
Jackson hasn’t played since Oct. 22 when he suffered a high-ankle sprain on a borderline dirty hit against the New York Giants. Many thought his season was over, not to mention his career in midnight green. But the veteran receiver remained motivated to come back and he’s getting close to realizing that dream.
“He’s getting close. We activated it [the 21-day practice window] for that reason. We feel like he is close,” head coach Doug Pederson told reporters on Thursday. “He was able to get some snaps in yesterday with the offense. And we’ll integrate him more today and just see where he’s at.”
Fellow receiver Greg Ward Jr. added that Jackson has looked “good, explosive” at practices and continues to provide veteran leadership in the receivers room. The Eagles may still add him to the lineup prior to Sunday’s kickoff versus the Dallas Cowboys.
“It’s the first time he’s been able to do any kind of football activity with the team, more football maneuvers, running routes and blocking and things of that nature,” Pederson said. “So we’ll see how he is and see how he feels today, but we’ll try to ramp him up today and keep him coming.”
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Alshon Jeffery Mentoring Young Receivers
The ongoing debate about whether the Eagles should be giving snaps to Alshon Jeffery won’t go away. It’s hard to deny that he’s been building good chemistry with rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts. The one-time Pro Bowl receiver has three catches for 78 yards and one touchdown over the past two weeks.
Jalen Hurts finds Alshon Jeffery for a fourth-down TD!
The Eagles hold a TD lead on the Saints 😯
Jeffery’s big body and lanky frame was a problem for cornerback Patrick Peterson last week and he drew a few pass interference calls as a result. But his play on the field is only a small reason why the Eagles keep sending him out there. He’s been mentoring the young wideouts, according to Pederson, and coaching them up.
“I see him or I saw him, and he continues to do this, just talking to them and coaching them,” Pederson said. “And I guess another thing I’ve really appreciated about Alshon is that he’s so unselfish. He doesn’t have to have every ball thrown his way. He doesn’t have to score all the touchdowns.”
Alshon Jeffery led all #Eagles WRS in snaps with 52 followed by Jalen Reagor with 46, Greg Ward 44, and Quez Watkins 28, and Travis Fulgham with 26.
Pederson specifically praised Jeffery for mentoring Travis Fulgham, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Jalen Reagor, John Hightower, Quez Watkins. He gets visibly excited when those young guys succeed.
“He gets fired up about that. He’s such a pro about it,” Pederson said. “And so his value has been about mentoring and sort of coaching and teaching these young guys how to play this game.”
Nate Sudfeld Handling Demotion ‘Like a Professional’
Nate Sudfeld has been the forgotten man amid the sudden quarterback controversy in Philadelphia. He was supposed to be the backup behind Carson Wentz and was for exactly one week. Then Jalen Hurts usurped his job and eventually took over the starting role from Wentz.
Sudfeld has been a healthy scratch for every game since Week 2 and hasn’t addressed the media since training camp. The Eagles don’t like to keep three quarterbacks active so the only way to get Hurts on the field was to demote Sudfeld to third string. The kid from California has handled everything like a professional.
Jalen Hurts was drafted to replace Nate Sudfeld. Not Carson Wentz.
“I know Nate was disappointed. I do know that. And rightfully so,” Pederson said. “Obviously coming in as the No. 2 and then making that change early in the season with Jalen there.”
Much like Wentz, Sudfeld continues to impact the team in other ways. He remains a vocal leader and sounding board on the sideline, never whining or complaining about not playing.
“We still talk quite a bit, Xs and Os, on and off the football field,” Wentz said. “And he’s been a big part of that room.”
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