Saturday’s NFL preseason game between the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., had a scary start after a player on the visiting side went down with an injury on the opening kickoff.
Jamie Apody of FOX29 reported that Eagles running back Ja’Quinden Jackson took a knee to the head during the kickoff, with an ambulance coming onto the field to attend to the injured player.
Jackson was later taken to the hospital, according to a statement released by the Eagles.
Good news for Jackson and the Eagles is that the former Arkansas Razorbacks star running back was able to move all his extremities before he was taken off the field.
Eagles RB Ja’Quinden Jackson has strength and movement in all extremities and is being taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 22, 2026
While this remains an unfortunate development, especially for Jackson, who is among the many players looking to impress their teams enough to make the final roster cuts, the Eagles are more concerned about his health.
Jackson went undrafted in 2025 but was later signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in April. The Jaguars released him a month later, before he was inked by Jacksonville to a reserve/future contract.
Jackson was in the mix for a backup role behind Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley, but it remains to be seen how his injury will affect his standing with the Eagles.
