Alshon Jeffery won’t help the Eagles beat the Buccaneers this weekend, but the talented receiver is inching closer to his return to the field.
The Eagles limped to an opening night victory against the Falcons, but there’s no doubt Philadelphia’s offense could use some help. Fortunately, the return of wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is starting to become closer and closer to a reality.
Jeffery refused to give reporters any timeline for his return to the field, but he does insist he’s getting better “day by day.” The former South Carolina star hasn’t been cleared to play after undergoing surgery this offseason to repair his torn rotator cuff. He gutted his way through the injury last season en route to a Super Bowl title, but he finally addressed the painful injury this past offseason.
His return will be a very welcome sight to whichever quarterback happens to be leading the Eagles offense when he returns. Right now, that man is Nick Foles, but Carson Wentz is also working his way back from surgery. It’s unclear whether Jeffery or Wentz will return to the field first. Both will provide their team a significant boost.
In some ways, the situation at wide receiver is more pressing. Foles is a relatively established commodity at quarterback, but the options behind Jeffery are unproven. Nelson Agholor and Mike Wallace are quality options for Doug Pederson, but their backups are all serious question marks.
Of course, the Eagles are smart to be conservative with Jeffery’s recovery. As long as they continue to win football games without him in the lineup, they can afford to give him additional rebab time. If they drop this weekend’s game against Tampa Bay, look for the coaching staff to start pushing Jeffery to return as soon as next week.
In the end, this season is going to be a marathon, not a sprint, for the Eagles. At some point, Jeffery’s return will give their offense a much-needed deep threat. No one is exactly sure when that return will come, but the fact that he’s making progress is good news for everyone associated with the Eagles.