The Philadelphia Eagles received some disappointing news on Monday, with the announcement that stud defensive tackle, Malik Jackson, will miss an indefinite amount of time with a foot injury.
“We are still waiting on a few more test results with him,” Pederson said, “but it is a significant injury that is going to require some time.”
Jackson wasn’t ruled out for the rest of the season, but head coach Doug Pederson was noncommittal on providing a return time for the talented defensive tackle, who signed as a free agent in the offseason.
The loss of Jackson is a significant one. The Eagles were counting on Jackson to provide a running mate with Fletcher Cox that could free up the All-Pro from the constant double teams. Even on Sunday against the Redskins, Jackson showed traits of the ability to be dominant while lined up next to Cox.
Timmy Jernigan is a pretty solid defensive tackle, but he doesn’t provide the pass-rush ability that Jackson brings to the table. How Jackson’s absence will affect the roster will depend a lot on the timeframe he’s expected to miss.
The Eagles would love a six to eight-week prognosis, allowing the team to put Jackson on injured reserve with a designation to bring him back.
The Eagles have Hassan Ridgeway on the roster as well, along with Bruce Hector on the practice squad. The Eagles could give Chris Long a call as well as veteran free agents like Muhammad Wilkerson or Anthony Rush from the Raiders practice squad.
