Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin had a little smile in the side of mouth when he was standing on the side watching the Eagles practice during training camp. He was undergoing tests during that time for lymphoma, but Maclin was smart enough to be pretty sure he didn’t have it because his health had improved.
Number 18, who had lost his strength, his appetite and some weight during early summer, started gaining weight and feeling much better when training camp started.
“The doctors just weren’t sure, and that’s why they kept doing more and more tests,” Maclin said. “Normally, when somebody has (lymphoma), your symptoms don’t get better. Your symptoms actually get worse until you get treatment.
“That was one thing I had going in my favor.”
Maclin worked out yesterday but he’s not practicing with the team yet, even though you could imagine he’s still on an emotional high after being cleared by doctors of having cancer or some other life-threatening disease after months of tests.
“It was tough,” the receiver said, “especially when it could have been as serious as (cancer). No matter what you’re doing, it’s always in the back of your mind. It was kind of good to clear that cloud.”
Now Maclin’s focus is on making sure he gets his strength and weight back up to where they were before the illness affected him. The talented young wide receiver expects to be practicing next week and getting ready to play in the team’s first regular game of the season against the St. Louis Rams.
Coincidentally, St. Louis happens to be Maclin’s home town and as you could imagine, he’s eager to play in that game.
“I’m really excited to play in that game,” Maclin said, “but I haven’t really thought about the high emotion of it.”
Maclin is a very important weapon in the Eagles offense. He’s the most complete of the Birds receivers. He’s got the speed to get deep, but he also has the size to work inside.
Last year he had a very good season with 70-catches for 964 yards and ten touchdowns. Before the illness hit him, he was expected to make another step in his third season to put himself above the 1000-yard mark and amongst some of the best receivers in the NFL.
I know that Maclin wants to be one of the best. He respects DeSean Jackson on the other side, but he wants to be talked about as much Jackson, so you can believe that he’ll be living at the Nova Care Complex for the next three weeks prior to game one against the Rams.
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Hopefully he builds up his strength and stamina and works his way back in to football shape .. I would expect im to be a rotational WR who will play 20-25 Snaps a game the 1st few games of games and will work his way back into an everydown WR by the end of September/Early October