DeSean Jackson To Undergo Surgery

UPDATE, 3:39pm, 11/5/19: The Eagles ended up placing Jackson on injured reserve, the team announced on Twitter. The receiver could potentially return for a playoff run, although it seems more likely that his season is over. He’ll likely end the 2019 campaign having appeared in just one full game plus a couple of snaps last week.

2:40pm, 11/4/19: Following a two-touchdown Week 1, DeSean Jackson has seen an injury define his 2019 season. The premier deep threat’s rebound opportunity will have to wait, and such a chance may not happen at all this year.

Jackson will undergo core muscle surgery Tuesday in Philadelphia, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Jackson returned to action after six missed games Sunday but aggravated the abdominal injury that has plagued him for weeks.

While it’s certainly not a lock Jackson will play again this season, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) this surgery is expected to sideline him for at least six weeks. That would put a possible late-regular-season return, or a playoff cameo should the Eagles get that far, in play. Still, this is a blow for an Eagles passing game that peaked in Week 1 with Jackson healthy.

The Eagles sent the Buccaneers a sixth-round pick for Jackson, a 2008 second-rounder who rose to prominence in Philadelphia. After dominating in his first game back with Philly, Jackson could not shake this injury he suffered in Atlanta. While the team initially decided to treat this injury with rehab, the parties opted for surgery after the aggravation.

Jackson had one season remaining on his Bucs contract at the time of the trade, but he and the Eagles agreed on a three-year, $27MM deal shortly after. Realistically, Jackson is tied to the Eagles through at least 2020. He’s on their books through 2021, but the dead-money hit reduces to $5MM-plus after the ’20 season.

Philadelphia has struggled to generate consistent play from its receivers. Jackson replacement Mack Hollins and Nelson Agholor have contributed little to the cause in weeks, with Alshon Jeffery averaging just 10.8 yards per reception.