Coming fresh off a 24-7 preseason loss against the Baltimore Ravens, the Philadelphia Eagles’ struggles spilled over to the next game as well. While facing off against the New England Patriots on Saturday, August 22, running back Ja’Quinden Jackson had to be carted off the field in an ambulance. An update then followed from the team. 

“Eagles RB Ja’Quinden Jackson has strength and movement in all extremities and is being taken to a local hospital for further evaluation,” reported the official Philadelphia Eagles account on X on August 22. 

The news came after Jackson was hurt on the opening kickoff. It was Jackson’s head that collided with Patriots returner Lan Larison’s leg. Due to the severity of the incident, it was not replayed at Gillette Stadium.

As he laid motionless, both teams’ medical teams rushed to attend to him as the ambulance drove onto the field. Soon, tension engulfed the stadium as players too knelt near the sideline as he was strapped onto a stretcher. While he was being taken to the ambulance, Jackson was spotted briefly raising his left arm.

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The Eagles added Jackson on Aug. 10 to provide another option in their crowded running back group. Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 233 pounds, Jackson went undrafted in 2025 after stints at Texas, Utah, and Arkansas. He began his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars but was waived by them without seeing any action. After that, he joined Philadelphia during training camp. 

The timing mattered, since the Eagles had Elijah Mitchell on injured reserve. However, Jackson walked in with a lot of second thoughts. After all, he did not possess a particularly strong receiving resume. During his four years in college, he caught just 23 passes for 200 yards. When it came to explosiveness, he trailed behind, having posted a 4.75-second 40-yard dash at his Arkansas Pro Day.

Because of this, the preseason games were the perfect platforms for Jackson to earn Philadelphia’s trust. With Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, and Will Shipley ahead of him on the depth chart, Jackson was fighting for a backup role. His ability to make an impact on special teams was crucial to his roster prospects.

With another preseason game injury, many are arguing about the importance of more joint practices. After all, they are preferable to preseason games since teams can practice against each other in a more controlled environment without playing a full game.

Meanwhile, it must be deja vu moment for the Eagles that takes them right back to 2018. Back then, they were caught in a similar situation, as tight end Richard Rodgers partially tore the PCL and MCL in his left knee during the preseason game against the Patriots on Aug. 16. 

He suffered the injury after catching a 17-yard touchdown pass from Nate Sudfeld. The Philadelphia Eagles placed Rodgers on injured reserve before activating him on Nov. 16, 2018.

Whether the Eagles will be putting Jackson on injured reserve is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, his agent, Damien Butler, also shared an update about his injury status.

Ja’Quinden Jackson is “doing well” after being carted off the field

Right after the update from the Eagles camp, Butler of CMV Sports dropped a statement on Jackson’s present condition. It was shared by The Athletic’s Eagles beat writer Brooks Kubena on X.

“Tonight, above everything else, we thank God that Ja’Quinden is doing well after what was an incredibly frightening moment,” Butler shared. “I just spoke with Ja’Quinden. He is awake, has full movement and use of all four limbs, and his CT scan came back negative. With God’s continued blessings, Ja’Quinden looks forward to rejoining his teammates and getting back to work in training camp.”

All these updates cleared the confusion that erupted at Gillette Stadium. Since both linebacker Brandon George and Jackson wear jersey No. 45, many thought that it was George who got injured. 

As the confusion is now cleared, it’s now to be seen how soon Jackson makes back to the field. Fans have been excited to witness what he brings to the table. So much so that this offseason, one of them shared one of his clips from his days in Utah, showing his 53-yard touchdown run that helped the Utes take a 16-point lead over USC and knock them out of playoff contention.

It’s now time to see how fast he can recreate the same magic in the NFL.