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Eagles WR Jeffery still not cleared for contact

By The Sports Xchange
Philadelphia Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffrey hauls in a 53-yard touchdown reception against the Minnesota Vikings during the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 21, 2018. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
Philadelphia Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffrey hauls in a 53-yard touchdown reception against the Minnesota Vikings during the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 21, 2018. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

While Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz will make his much-anticipated return to the lineup Sunday, he will be without his top wide receiver.

Alshon Jeffery has yet to be cleared for contact, head coach Doug Pederson told reporters Friday, and is expected to sit out his third straight game when the Eagles host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon.

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Pederson labeled Jeffery as highly doubtful for Sunday's game but said he is "progressing day by day."

Jeffery has been rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery and there has been no definitive timetable for his return, although Philadelphia removed him from the physically unable to perform list one day before trimming its active roster to 53 players.

That led to speculation that Jeffery's absence would be a short-term one, although he nodded in the affirmative prior to the Eagles' Week 2 matchup when asked if he was still a few weeks from rejoining the lineup.

"Some days I feel great, and some days ... a shoulder injury is pretty tough," Jeffery told SI.com more than a week ago.

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Philadelphia's offense has struggled overall and in the passing game. The Eagles are averaging 19.5 points and 220 yards through the air with backup quarterback Nick Foles starting the first two games. Philadelphia averaged 28.6 points in 2017 in its march to a Super Bowl championship.

Jeffery was bothered by the shoulder injury last season, but still had 57 catches for 789 yards and nine touchdowns in the regular season. He added 12 receptions for 219 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles' three postseason games.

He had surgery to repair the shoulder problem the season, which was his first with the Eagles.

For his career, the 28-year-old Jeffery has 361 receptions for 5,338 yards and 35 touchdowns in seven seasons. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2013.

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