Eagles Will Wait One More Week to Get Tim Jernigan Back

The Eagles won't have Tim Jernigan for this weekend's game in New Orleans. 

Even though Jernigan has been practicing for two weeks and has been rotating in with starters, the Eagles are going to give him another week to get ready. If Jernigan were going to play this weekend, he needed to be activated by 4 p.m. today. That deadline has passed. 

During the past week, head coach Doug Pederson said twice (most recently on Friday) that he was optimistic Jernigan would be able to play against the Saints. 

The lack of a move with Jernigan was signaled early on Saturday, when the Eagles put Ronald Darby on IR and brought up De'Vante Bausby. And on Friday, they activated Richard Rodgers to the 53-man roster. 

Because Jernigan is still on the Non-football Injury list after offseason back surgery, the Eagles weren't required to put him on their injury report this week and didn't need to give an official game status for him. 

Jernigan was cleared to return to practice on Nov. 5, which started a 21-day practice window. By the end of that window, the Eagles must decide to either activate Jernigan to the 53-man roster or shut him down for the year. That window will end next Saturday, so the Eagles will likely have him for next week's game. 

The fact that he was even close to returning this week, makes it seem like he will return this year. That will be a boost for the Eagles, but it might also be too little too late. 

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The Eagles have really missed Jernigan this season and they'll probably miss him again this weekend. Haloti Ngata (knee) enters the weekend listed as questionable. If he can't play, they're down to either Treyvon Hester or T.Y. McGill next to Fletcher Cox. In fact, that spot next to Cox has probably been one of the weakest starting positions on the depth chart this year. 

For a long time, there were serious questions about whether or not Jernigan would be able to return at all this season. His injury still has plenty of mystery surrounding it. It seems like he's getting close, though. Maybe next week.

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