The Philadelphia Eagles got a frightening reminder of football’s dangers when running back Ja’Quinden Jackson, a recent addition to the roster, went down on the very first play of the preseason game against the New England Patriots. Jackson, whom the Eagles picked up within the past week, appeared to be knocked out cold on the field with no visible movement, prompting an ambulance to come onto the field to transport him to a local hospital.

The good news came shortly after. An update confirmed that Jackson had strength and movement in all of his extremities, a massive relief given how the injury initially looked.

Jackson was injured when his head collided with Lan Larison’s leg on the opening kickoff.

A scary scene with a positive update

It doesn’t matter if it’s a preseason game, a roster bubble player, or the Super Bowl. When a guy goes down like that and isn’t moving, fans will inevitably be concerned. It looked like Jackson didn’t have any movement at all, and the fact that he appeared to be knocked out cold made it even more terrifying.

The sight of an ambulance rolling onto the field is never something you want to see, but the medical staff handled the situation and got Jackson the immediate attention he needed. The early report that he had strength and movement in all of his extremities is the kind of news everybody needed to hear.

Undrafted last season, Jackson initially signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and spent his rookie season on the practice squad. Cut by Jacksonville in May, he signed with the Eagles on Aug. 10 to provide running back and special teams depth.

Hopefully Jackson can make a full recovery and get back out on the field. We’re all pulling for him.