Tim Jernigan returning to practice is potentially very big news for the Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles received some potentially GREAT news coming out of their bye week. Starting defensive tackle Tim Jernigan has been cleared to return to practice and he participated in a team walkthrough on Monday.

To be clear, Jernigan has NOT returned to the Eagles’ 53-man roster just yet. He’s still on the reserve/non-football injury list.

But by having Jernigan return to practice, the Eagles just started a 21-day window where he can be activated to the roster at any point. If Jernigan does not return to the team during that span, he’ll be shut down and remain on the NFI list for the rest of the season.

In case you forgot, Jernigan underwent surgery on a herniated disc in his back this offseason. His potential recovery timeline was projected into November at the latest, but there was also some concern about whether he’d ever be able to play again at all.

Getting Jernigan back within the next couple of weeks would be so big for an Eagles defensive tackle position that’s been so thin. Outside of All-Pro beast Fletcher Cox, all the Eagles have is Haloti Ngata and Treyvon Hester on the 53-man roster. Jernigan’s return (assuming he plays at full health) would give the Eagles a big boost on the interior. His ability to push the pocket makes the defensive line a lot more threatening.

Mood: