The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)

DJax

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Eagles trek to Minnesota to take on the Vikings, per a source, and anything but a certainty he plays the following week at Dallas.

“DeSean, he’s still rehabbing obviously,” Pederson said. “He’s working. I just met with the medical team and he’s going to do a little more. We’re going to push him a little bit more this week to do some more running and things like that. We’ll see. He’s getting close. He’s day-byday and we’ll see here tomorrow and Wednesday and the next day where he’s at.”

Pederson rarely is comfortabl­e saying much about injuries. Asked if Jackson has a sports hernia and may need surgery the coach became evasive.

“Nothing like that,” Pederson said. “Just rehab. Just his normal rehab.”

Pederson called the issue “just a strain, as far as I know.

“You might want to ask our doctors,” Pederson said. “I’m going to wear a stethoscop­e in here and a lab coat. We are talking about him running this week and getting back out on the field.”

The Eagles rarely, if ever make their medical people available. It’s entirely possible Jackson already had a procedure and is working his way back. The bottom line is it’s never a good thing when a receiver who relies on his legs to get open has an abdominal thing. Emphasis on never.

When Jackson returns to the lineup this season don’t expect him to be the gamebreake­r he was in the opener. Abdominal injuries rarely end well.

The good news is the Eagles (3-2) have won back-to-back games after adjusting to the loss of Jackson, who Pederson applauded for adding “explosiven­ess, the threat to stretch a defense and his ability to get open.

“Yeah, you miss that, yet at the same time, though, we can’t make excuses for it,” Pederson said. “We have to help him get healthy and get back on the field and then play with the guys we have.”

Alshon Jeffery is playing through a calf issue. That’s taking double-team attention off Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz, who caught his first scoring pass of the season in the Eagles’ 31-6 romp over the New York Jets.

Nelson Agholor’s receiving numbers have dipped slightly largely because Wentz is getting the ball to running backs Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard. The loss of Darren Sproles to a quad injury Sunday leaves the Eagles thinner in that department but tight end Dallas Goedert is contributi­ng again after being slowed by a calf injury.

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