Jeffery’s Cranky Ankle is a Maintenance Issue

PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) — With Thanksgiving right around the corner this is the time of year where bumps and bruises start accumulating on a football team and Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is fighting through “a lingering” ankle injury as Philadelphia prepares to visit the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

The Eagles have listed Jeffery as questionable for the Cowboys after he popped up as limited on Thursday's injury report. The veteran, however, was able to practice fully on Friday during a light indoor practice, a good indication he will play against the Cowboys but obviously no guarantee.

“This time of the year we’ve got a lot of players that are nicked-up,” coach Doug Pederson said. “He’s just one of those guys. He’s got a little ankle right now, getting treatment on it. Wanted to get some added rest."

“He’s taking some reps off in practice just so we can keep him healthy for Sunday,” the coach continued. “I’m optimistic that he’ll go.”

Before the bye week, star tight end Zach Ertz tweaked a hamstring during practice and was a late scratch against Denver despite Pederson's estimation that he would play. In this instance, however, the handling of Jeffery seems to point toward a maintenance issue.

"This time of year with everybody being a little sore and nicked up, (we) just wanted to give him a little extra rest," Pederson said. "It’s been kind of lingering a little while. There’s no really one particular game or instance. It’s something in his case with all the cutting and stopping and starting, and practice and games and just where we are at that time of the year, you’re going to start seeing more and more guys either added to the list or taking some reps off in practice.”

Jeffery hasn’t missed a game this season and has 34 receptions for 500 yards and five touchdowns although he and Carson Wentz haven't always been on the same page as evidenced by the fact that the 27-year-old has been targeted 70 times. The less-than 50 percent connection rate between Wentz and his perceived top threat on the outside is by far the worst among the second-year quarterback's main options this season.

-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen