NFL Rumors: Eagles’ Jordan Matthews expected to be ready for Week 1

Jordan Matthews has been dealing with a knee issue this preseason, but he is now expected to be ready when the games count for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jordan Matthews led the Philadelphia Eagles in receptions (85), receiving yards (997) and touchdowns (eight) in 2015. So a knee injury early in training camp was a bad development for a team that’s thin at wide receiver, especially with a 2-4 week recovery timetable that put his status for Week 1 in doubt.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Matthews said he expects to be back for the start of the regular season. A player expressing optimism is hardly news, but Eagles’ head coach Doug Pederson backed up that assertion while also calling Matthews day-to-day.

With the surprising acquisition of Dorial Green-Beckham from the Tennessee Titans this past week, the talent level of Philadelphia’s wide receiver group is improved. But it’s still hardly a great group, with or without Matthews, so a positive prognosis with his knee is good news.

It’s unclear if Matthew will play in either of the Eagles final two preseason games. But if he’s not ready for next week, when starters will play a lot, it seems unlikely. A return to practice at some point over the next couple weeks, and a progressive increase in his activity level, can be expected though. The team’s beat reporters will surely be tracking his progress closely, so it’ll be easy to find out if optimism about Matthews playing Week 1 meets reality.

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If Matthews is not quite ready to play a full complement of snaps Week 1, it wouldn’t be the end of the world for the Eagles. Having him at full strength beyond the first couple games of the season has to be the priority, even if a slow start is the alternative.