Sidney Jones is set to return to the Eagles lineup one week after missing the Birds win over the Jets with a lingering hamstring injury. Jones is a talented cornerback, who dominated the Pac 12 while at Washington, but has struggled to stay healthy and make plays as a professional.
During his final presser in advance of Sunday’s huge matchup against the Vikings, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, sounded like a man running out of patience, as he implored Jones to “push through all the injuries.”
“I think from a player’s standpoint, I think sometimes, too, you sort of have to push yourself, break through that threshold,” Pederson said of Jones’ injuries via The Athletic.
Pederson went on to give a thoughtful answer while elaborating on what he meant. If Pederson was putting pressure on Jones to perform, he phrased it in a way that made it sound like he’s looking for the cornerback to exude a little more toughness.
“Well, I think sometimes with an injury, I don’t care what type of injury, you get to the point where, just through your rehab and conditioning, you have to push yourself,” Pederson said. “You have to bust through and say, “OK, I feel good. I still might be a little sore, but I feel good.’”
Jones’s struggles could very well be mental and he’s struggled with durability issues since entering the NFL, further compounding his current issues. He deemed himself healthy on Thursday and it’ll be interesting to see how those thoughts translate to game action on Sunday.
