When is Tyree Jackson Coming Back?

Another day passes, and we don’t know any more about Tyree Jackson’s injury than we did a few days ago. We wouldn’t deem that as being frustrating. He might, but we won’t. There are times when one might ask if it’s better to end the experiment. That probably isn’t the case either, but for a six-foot-seven quarterback turned tight end, being on the Philadelphia Eagles‘ PUP (their physically unable to perform list) has to feel like the NFL’s version of football limbo.

Think about it. You’re on the team, but there are times when it may not feel like that’s the case. When the team takes road trips, they don’t take you with them. You aren’t suited up for game days. You most certainly aren’t playing.

The Eagles opened a 21-day practice window for Tyree Jackson on Wednesday, October 26th. When they released Friday’s injury report, one in which only five players were mentioned, Jackson wasn’t one of them.

Brandon Graham (hamstring), Lane Johnson (concussion), Isaac Seumalo (ankle), and Josh Jobe (shoulder) all participated in some capacity. Jalen Hurts missed the session due to personal reasons.

Players on the PUP aren’t mentioned, so Jackson’s absence from the list isn’t unusual. Still, it doesn’t appear that he’ll be active versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8, That leads us to the obvious question.

When can we expect Tyree Jackson back on the field with his Eagles teammates?

The easiest way to attack that question is to formulate an educated theory because, let’s be honest, none of us know the answers. Here’s what we’re thinking. There are exceptions to the following rule. Brandon Brooks is one of them in 2020, but opening a practice window for one of the Eagles’ wounded doesn’t seem like their way of doing business unless they feel good about the chances of reinserting said player onto the roster.

Philadelphia now has two options with Tyree Jackson. They can elevate him from the I.R. back to the active roster at any point during these 21 days. If they elect against doing so, once the three-week window ends, in this case on November 16th,  he’d return to the I.R. where he’ll remain until the close of the current season.

Latest Injury Update for Tyree Jackson

An ACL tear or none, if you didn’t know anything about Tyree Jackson and he walked into the room, you’d probably assume, without having a conversation with him, that he’s a professional athlete. As mentioned earlier, he’s six-foot-seven. He tips the scales at 247 pounds. His frame seemingly carries no fat. He looks like an NBA small forward.

Since being designated for return to the practice field, he’s wearing a brace, but there’s minimal hitch in his giddy-up.  Here’s a look at both he and starting right tackle Lane Johnson who the Eagles expect to play on Sunday.

Following his release from the Buffalo Bills during final roster cuts in 2019, the Eagles watched Jackson enjoy a short stint in the XFL with the DC Defenders with interest. The XFL folded because of the COVID-19 crisis. Philadelphia added him to their nest on January 7th of 2021.

The Eagles entered this deal with thoughts of grandeur. An athlete of his size and ability might take the league by storm if the ‘Quarterback Factory’ could work its magic and transition him to a tight-end role. Let’s just say we don’t have a verdict on the experiment.

It’s been a slow process. He’s still working his way back from the ACL tear he suffered during last season’s regular-season finale, but clearer skies may be in the forecast.

From where we’re sitting, he could be elevated from the I.R. fairly soon. That would be great news seeing as how, other than his and Derek Barnett’s season-ending ACL tear during the regular-season opener, Philadelphia is almost fully healthy as they continue to prepare for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8.

We most recently saw a similar scenario with Andre Dillard. Placed on Philly’s injured reserve list on September 6th, the Eagles opened a 21-day window for him on October 5th.

He was given a clean bill of health and elevated back onto the 53-man roster on October 15th. With that as a further reference, again, it seems unlikely that Philly would activate Tyree’s window if they didn’t feel he was approaching readiness for in-game action relatively soon.

Update: The Eagles released their inactives report 90 minutes before kickoff. There are no real surprises. As expected, there’s been no activation of Tyree Jackson. Grant Calcaterra gets the nod in Week 8.

Update (November 16th)

He’s back! The Eagles announced on November 16th that Dallas Goedert will head to the injured reserve and that Tyree Jackson will be elevated to the active roster. Let’s hope that he’s ready to go.