Tim Jernigan’s herniated disc surgery is wiping out some of the guarantees in the new contract he signed last season, and it could sideline the Eagles’ starting defensive tackle well into the 2018 slate.
That was what ESPN.com said Thursday, expanding on an earlier, more optimistic recovery time mentioned in the initial report on Jernigan’s surgery, from 94WIP’s Howard Eskin.
The ESPN report said Jernigan “is not expected to be ready for the Eagles’ regular-season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, and he will be a candidate to open the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list.” That last bit could be especially concerning, in that while you can come off PUP anytime during the preseason, if you start the season on it, you are ineligble for the first six weeks.