The Philadelphia Eagles are set for another reunion with Jordan Matthews.
Per Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice, the Eagles brought in the veteran wide receiver for a physical on Tuesday.
It’s a move made out of necessity after DeSean Jackson was shelved for the long-term once again.
After missing six games with an abdominal injury, the 32-year-old didn’t even last one quarter in Week 9 as he reaggravated the issue.
He is expected to miss another six weeks after undergoing surgery.
Matthews has had two separate stints with the Eagles during his six-year NFL career.
He caught 225 passes for 2,673 yards and 19 touchdowns in three seasons from 2014-2016 before he was traded to the Buffalo Bills for cornerback Ronald Darby.
The 27-year-old lasted just 10 games in Buffalo before injuries cut his 2017 season short. He was picked up by the New England Patriots in free agency and cut before the start of 2018 before signing with the Eagles prior to Week 3.
Matthews wasn’t much more than a fourth receiver during his second stint in Philadelphia as he caught just 20 of 28 targets in 14 games for 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
In 2019, he went unclaimed in free agency until October when the San Francisco 49ers took a chance on him. But he lasted just one game before being released.
This is a receiver that doesn’t provide the same kind of outside threat that Jackson does, but Matthews adds all-important depth to a receiving group that has struggled without Jackson.
None of Philadelphia’s current available receivers — Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside — has more than two receptions of 30 or more yards this season.
While Jeffery and Agholor have struggled to make their presences felt, Hollins doesn’t have a reception since Week 4 while the rookie Arcega-Whiteside hasn’t had a target since Week 3.
Those numbers are felt even more considering Jackson had two 50-yard touchdowns in Week 1 against the Washington Redskins.
Matthews, on the other hand, had four 30-plus-yard receptions within the Eagles’ offense last season.
That kind of familiarity could be an added boost for quarterback Carson Wentz — who has been the topic of conversation amongst a portion of the Eagles fan base looking for more from him. Over the Eagles’ first nine games, Wentz has just two 300-yard passing outings.
Matthews isn’t a marquee talent to make the Eagles’ aerial attack potent, but he at least provides a somewhat reliable option to Wentz’s arsenal of targets moving forward.
