Eagles Pro Bowler Cam Jurgens undergoes back surgery, expected back by training camp, per report

Cam Jurgens played through significant back pain in the final weeks of the season, as the Philadelphia Eagles were fighting for a Super Bowl championship. The back pain was even worse than what Jurgens let on. 

Per ESPN, Jurgens underwent a back procedure this week in Los Angeles to alleviate nerve pain stemming from his back injury in the playoffs. Jurgens is expected to be ready in time for training camp in July. 

Jurgens’ back injury was pretty significant, considering he was an emergency option at center for the NFC Championship game after laboring through the week with the injury. Landon Dickerson started at center, but had to leave the game at halftime with a knee injury. That thrusted Jurgens to play center in the second half, and he allowed two pressures in 11 pass-blocking snaps. 

Getting back in time for the Super Bowl was Jurgens’ priority, a game which he started at center and allowed just one pressure in 29 pass-blocking snaps — a pressure rate per dropback allowed of 3.4%. 

When Jurgens was asked about his back injury after the NFC Championship, he downplayed the injury.

“Landon’s fighting through shit. Everybody’s fighting through shit,” Jurgens said back in January. “I think we kind of went in there figuring what percent I could get up to and how much I could do.”

That was a performance where Jurgens said he was “good enough” to play. He also addressed his back injury on Super Bowl media night, noting he was good enough to stand for an hour and talk to the media. 

The pain was severe enough to go through an offseason procedure. Jurgens was good enough to play through it, capping a season in which he allowed four sacks and 19 pressures in 489 pass-blocking snaps — a pressure rate per dropback allowed of 3.9% in his first season as the heir apparent to Jason Kelce. 

Jurgens made the Pro Bowl in his first season as a starting center. 

“When you ever go into a situation like that, you’re trying to think I need to fill this guy’s shoes, I need to be like Kelce, I need to do this, you’re gonna fail. I don’t think anybody can succeed,” Jurgens said. “I always looked at it like I need to be the best person I can be. 

“I need to fill my own shoes. I’m a damn good player and I just had to learn from my coaches, the guys around me, and I just gotta get better. I fought all year. Stout [Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland] was on my ass. He’s on everybody’s ass. So thankful for him, thankful for the O-line, but yeah, if you’re trying to step into a Hall of Famers’ shoes and you’re trying to be somebody you’ll fail. You have to be yourself.”