Source: Eagles' Kiko Alonso could return in a month

THE EAGLES got some unexpected good injury news yesterday, when Dr. James Andrews poked his arthroscope into Kiko Alonso's left knee and found less damage than an MRI exam after the Dallas game had indicated, an NFL source said.

The source said tearing of Alonso's 2014 left ACL repair was minimal and the ligament remained tight, so Andrews injected some stem cells to try to promote healing and instructed Alonso to begin rehab.

The NFL Network said Alonso, an inside linebacker, might heal well enough to play in about a month - which would coincide nicely with the Eagles' Nov. 1 bye. After their Oct. 25 game at Carolina, the Eagles next play Nov. 8 at Dallas. The Cowboys were the opposition when Alonso suffered his injury in Week 2.

Eagles coach Chip Kelly yesterday said only that Alonso was visiting Andrews - who did the initial surgery when Alonso played for Buffalo - and doing rehab work there, and that he would return tomorrow.

"We'll see where he is then," Kelly said.

Other injury news was mixed. Kelly lightened the practice load yesterday, players said, possibly in deference to the 10 names listed on the team's injury report.

Wide receiver Riley Cooper (knee) and safety/special teams ace Chris Maragos (quadriceps) didn't practice at all. Limited were left tackle Jason Peters (quad), defensive end Cedric Thornton (hand), wide receiver Josh Huff (hamstring), defensive end Taylor Hart (shoulder) and running back DeMarco Murray (hamstring).

Fully practicing were linebacker Mychal Kendricks (hamstring) and tight end Trey Burton (shoulder).

This is the first time the Eagles have acknowledged an injury problem for Peters, who has not looked like himself in run-blocking. Peters sat out the final eight snaps of Sunday's game at the Jets after getting "rolled up on," he said - something that would usually cause an ankle, foot, or knee injury, not a quadriceps problem.

Kelly said the Eagles expect Cooper and Peters back from "nagging" injuries later in the week.

Kelly reiterated that the tear of three adductor muscles that put kicker Cody Parkey on injured reserve was "a new injury," not a continuation of the problems he experienced during training camp.

Kelly said he feels bad for Parkey, the Pro Bowl rookie last season. "He's the most conscientious guy I've been around in terms of what he does from a kicking standpoint."

Kelly said Parkey will stay around the team and advise new kicker Caleb Sturgis. He said Parkey had to go on IR because "it was at least eight weeks before he'd be back to doing anything, which kind of eliminated the point that we could bring him back from it."

Kelly said Sturgis, a former Dolphin, did better on both kickoffs and field goals than the other kickers the Eagles auditioned.

"He's got a heckuva leg. I mean, it explodes off his foot," Kelly said.

DeSean Jackson hasn't played since leaving Washington's opener with a strained hamstring. Asked yesterday on a conference call about getting Jackson back this week against DJax's old team, Washington coach Jay Gruden said he was "lukewarm - hopeful but not counting on it."

Jackson did not practice yesterday. Gruden also noted that when a player's chief asset is speed, putting him on the field with an injured hamstring is counterproductive.

"We don't want this thing to linger throughout the season," Gruden said. He noted that without Jackson, "we haven't been getting the big play."

The Eagles are preparing as if Jackson will play, though, as usually happens in these situations - best to be ready.

"He has rare speed," cornerback Byron Maxwell said. "You can't really overthrow him . . . You can play him physical."

Corner E.J. Biggers practiced against Jackson last season in Washington.

"I learned he's very, very good at tracking the ball downfield," Biggers said. "He's unique - he can adjust very well. You don't really understand that until you practice with him. You just see him on TV, running by people."

Inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks said rookie Jordan Hicks is better than Kendricks was in his rookie year of 2012 . . . The Eagles' weekly media book usually uses the team nicknames on its cover and in the comparisons of the teams inside. "Eagles vs. Cowboys," etc. This week's book says "Philadelphia vs. Washington" on every reference; the term "Redskins" is avoided.

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