Jamaal Jackson: 99.9% sure of playing opener
Jamaal Jackson said he is "99.9 percent" sure he will play the Sept. 12 opener against the Packers, less than nine months after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament.
Eagles center Jamaal Jackson said he has a "99.9 percent chance" of playing the Sept. 12 season opener against the Packers.
Jackson said his left knee "feels great" after a week of hard work.
"I got a chance to get some live contact in this past week and they (were) really working me," Jackson said in a television interview during Thursday night's preseason finale. "Hopefully no setbacks leading back to the 12th and hopefully I'll be out there with my team."
Jackson's return could be a boost for an offensive line that struggled through the preseason, though it remains to be seen how effective he will be against live pass rushers. He is less than nine months removed from tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee Dec. 27. Eagles coaches put Jackson through one-on-one blocking drills this week, and said his knee responded well.
Other NFL players, including Carson Palmer, Stewart Bradley and Donovan McNabb, have suffered ACL tears in recent years and returned to practice or live competition in similar time frames as Jackson.
Jackson was the anchor of the offensive line before getting hurt in Week 16 last year.