Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery talks about being ‘Philly Tough’
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery finally breaks silence on his mysterious injury from 2017.
Back in August of 2017, Philadelphia Eagles fans from all over were eager to see Alshon Jeffery in midnight green. As the preseason was approaching, everybody expected to see Jeffery play in a series or two during week one against the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, his Eagles debut would be on hold due to a mysterious shoulder injury that he suffered in training camp.
Philadelphia fans couldn’t help but think that the ‘injury-prone’ rumors surrounding Jeffery’s name were true. Although Jeffery was indeed injured, it would never really stop him. Surprisingly, back in 2017 training camp, Jeffery would be told that his injury would require season-ending surgery. Meaning he would never actually debut for the Eagles and could potentially never play for the team considering he was on a one-year deal.
Related Story: Analyzing the WR position before the 2018 NFL Draft
Knowing that he had too much to prove, Jeffery opted to deal with the pain and push through. To many fans surprise, Jeffery totaled up 1,008 receiving yards along with 12 touchdowns while dealing with a season-ending injury. 22 games later, he was finally able to have his medical procedure on his torn rotator cuff.
What to expect in 2018:
Could we actually call 2018 a potential comeback season for Jeffery? Considering he was far from one-hundred percent in all of 2017, next season could really be something to look forward to. If Jeffery was able to earn himself a four-year, $52.5 million contract while injured, then imagine how valuable he could be when he is healthy.
Even if he happens to suffer another injury, nothing is stopping Alshon Jeffery. After becoming used to the pain, he is absolutely up toughening out another season. After speaking with NJ.com, Jeffery stated that he strives to be ‘Philly Tough.’
"“If I had to do it again, I’d do it again,” Jeffery told NJ Advance Media. The pain “comes and goes,” he added, “but you gotta be tough for it … you gotta be Philly tough.”“I look forward to the next challenge that we have lined up for us but I just can’t wait to get back to playing football,” Jeffery said. “I wish I could right now.”"
The sky is the limit for the 2018 Philadelphia Eagles. Coming off of their best season in franchise history, the Eagles will get back to full strength at some point early on. The addition of a fully-healthy Jeffery along with the return of Carson Wentz and Jason Peters will surely put the rest of the NFC on notice.
For now, Jeffery is doing all that he can to rehabilitate his shoulder. The Eagles are refusing to issue a timetable for his return publicly, but we can expect Jeffery to be back sooner than later. After all, he did state that he would strap on some pads if they game today.