New England Patriots
“That’s not how you want to start any game or see anybody out there on the field like that.”
The Patriots won the toss and elected to receive, but their opening drive in Saturday night’s preseason game came later than expected after Eagles running back Ja’Quinden Jackson experienced a scary moment on the opening kickoff.
The Eagles running back was laying flat on his back motionless for an extended period of time. Trainers came over to check on him and ultimately decided to call an ambulance which took him to a local hospital.
Eagles players watched their teammate get loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled out of the stadium before either team’s offense took a single snap.
After the game, coach Mike Vrabel and several Patriots players made a point to acknowledge the situation and wish Jackson well.
“First of all, I would just like to send our thoughts and prayers out for Ja’Quinden Jackson,” Vrabel said. “You never like to see that. Obviously, I hope everything’s okay there. That’s not how you want to start any game or see anybody out there on the field like that.”
The Eagles announced during the game that Jackson had movement in all of his extremities. His agent, Damien Butler, released the following statement on X:
“Tonight, above anything else, we thank God that Ja’Quinden is doing well after what was an incredibly frightening moment,” Butler wrote. “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.”
“What happened tonight was frightening for all who witnessed it and we are extremely grateful to the Philadelphia Eagles medical staff and all of the first responders who acted quickly and took great care of Ja’Quinden in those critical moments.”
“We also sincerely appreciate all of the prayers, calls, messages, and concerns that have poured in for him tonight. With God’s continued blessings, Ja’Quinden looks forward to rejoining his teammates and getting back to work in training camp.”
The Patriots experienced a similarly scary moment in 2023 when cornerback Isaiah Bolden was taken to a hospital in Green Bay after taking a hard hit during the fourth quarter of a preseason game. Coaches Bill Belichick and Matt LaFleur decided to call the rest of the game off.
Bolden has since recovered and resumed his NFL career. The Eagles signed Bolden last week, and he made a tackle in Saturday’s game against the Patriots.
Several Patriots players said they were glad to hear the positive updates on Jackson. Tommy DeVito, Behren Morton, Nick DeGennaro, and Efton Chism III were among those who opened their press conferences with statements on Jackson.
“Real quick, I just want to give my thoughts and prayers to Mr. Jackson and his family and everything they’re going through,” Chism said. “It’s a very tough situation. I hope everything is going good for them, that they’re in good spirits, and that they know the Lord is looking over them.”
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