Evan Mathis says he would play Sunday if eligible
Evan Mathis's road to recovery has been smoother than expected.
After returning to practice Wednesday for the first time since suffering an MCL sprain in Week 1, the Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro guard spoke about his prognosis.
"I could play (Sunday) if I had to," Mathis told Andy Schwartz of CSNPhilly.com. "It would probably be pushing it to come back this week, but if I was not on this designation and it was a playoff game or a very important game for us, then I would push it and do it."
Mathis was placed on IR-recall, meaning that he isn't eligible to play until Nov. 10 against the Carolina Panthers.
It sounds as if the Alabama product is already practising full-bore.
"I went out there with the attitude that I was not going to hesitate," he said. "I was not going to be gun shy. Even in warmups, full speed, running and everything like that - that's when I'm able to first start testing it, and it felt great. Then the hitting comes after that. Everything was awesome."
Philadelphia plays the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, with both teams entering at 5-1.