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On a day where the Philadelphia Eagles received some terrible news — that Carson Wentz is out for the season due to a torn ACL — they also received some good news. Previously injured cornerback Sidney Jones has been cleared to return to practice this week. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson confirmed as much during his Monday press conference.
Jones has been fighting his way back from an Achilles injury that occurred at his pro day in March. Once thought as a potential top 10 pick, Jones’ injury caused him to fall to the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft where the Eagles selected him.
Jones began the season on the reserve/non-football injury list, which means he hasn’t counted towards the Eagles’ 53-man roster. As a result, he’s been unable to practice with the team. Now that the Eagles have started to practice Jones, they’ll have a 21-day window where they can evaluate his readiness to return to the field.
If the Eagles determine Jones is ready to contribute, they can activate him to their 53-man roster. If not, they can keep him shut down for the entire season.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Eagles handle Jones. Philadelphia’s corners have been better than expected this season, but there’s still room for improvement.