The road to recovery is officially underway for Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson.
On Tuesday morning, Jackson underwent surgery to repair a core muscle injury. Jackson is expected to be out at least six-to-eight weeks while he rehabs.
The surgery, performed by Dr. William Meyers, was needed to correct the injury that Jackson originally suffered during week 2’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Jackson posted this picture on his Instagram account following the surgery:
http://www.instagram.com/p/B4fcdo0F5BL/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Surgery was on the table after the partial tear of the abdomen was initially suffered, but Jackson elected to go the conservative route and instead rehab the injury, per Eagles head coach Doug Pederson. Given the nature of the injury, surgery was required one way or the other, but it was a matter of when. The hope was that Jackson could make it through the season before addressing it in the offseason.
Jackson was out for six weeks while rehabbing before returning in week 9 against the Chicago Bears. Jackson went to great lengths in his rehab, as well — he had his trainers fly in on a regular basis to help him recover. He even once flew out on his on to his trainers to rehab while the team was in Green Bay.
Each of the medical staff, coaching staff and Jackson felt comfortable with the 32-year-old wide receiver returning when he did. However, Jackson lasted just one drive before suffering a complete tear in the same location of his previous injury, making surgery a must.
Given the current timeline and where we’re at in the season, there’s a chance Jackson doesn’t play again in 2019. However, a return late in the season or in the playoffs isn’t out of the picture.
For Jackson, this was an intense surgery, but the rehab can move quicker than some think. Just an hour or so after getting out of the operation room, Jackson was already up and walking around some in the hospital, though it was obviously very gingerly. After 21 days, patients typically are cleared to run in straight lines, and towards the end of week 3 of recovery, full sprints without cutting may be attained.
Eventually, return to play comes around the six-to-eight week mark, though recovery can be very tricky and generally varies from case to case.
On his Instagram account, Jackson addressed the situation after the announcement that he needed surgery.
http://www.instagram.com/p/B4dfu1FFHXf/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
He also posted a story earlier on Monday, which said:
“Faith over doubt. When you’ve hit roc bottom you kno how to keep your Head High . . . Jus everybody keep the same energy ! I need to retire and I’m washed up ! I feed off that !!”
With Jackson out, the Eagles are reportedly bringing in WR Jordan Matthews for a physical, per PhillyVoice’s Jimmy Kempski.
UPDATE
DeSean Jackson was placed on Injured Reserve on Tuesday afternoon following the surgery. He will miss the remainder of the regular season. He could be back after the teams first playoff game, should they get that far.
Jackson, who was drafted by the Eagles in 2008, landed back in Philadelphia after being traded by the team in the offseason from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jackson is in the first year of a three-year, $27.9 million deal with the Eagles.
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