Jeremy Maclin

The announcement didn’t come Tuesday, as promised, but more light was shed on the “mystery” ailment of Jeremy Maclin on Wednesday.

Since news his “mono-like” illness surfaced in the spring, Maclin privately faced a possibility that is the stuff of nightmares for us all. Doctors thought that the Eagles wide receiver had lymphoma.

The possibility of this diagnosis is what kept Maclin from training camp for the past few weeks. Thankfully, after extensive testingm Maclin’s health is in good order and he has given the go-ahead to return to the practice field.

Maclin spoke to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports about his ordeal an hour after he received his test results to let the public know that he was okay.

“That’s first and foremost, I want everyone to know I’m fine, I’m healthy. I was tested for everything, and every single test came back negative. I don’t have mono, I don’t have AIDS, leukemia — all the things people were guessing on, there was nothing. I was being tested for lymphoma and thank God everything has come back negative.”

Said Glazer,

“His difficult offseason became downright scary when, on May 11 — his birthday — a scan showed his lymph nodes were “enlarged and hot.” That’s a possible sign of lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic cells of the immune system…A normal offseason regimen of sprints, lifting and route running suddenly was replaced with a grueling schedule of test upon test, including bone marrow exams and radiology scans, to rule out cancer and any other potentially life-threatening ailment.”

Maclin had nothing but the highest praise for the Eagles organization for the compassion, respect and privacy they showed toward him during this trying experience. Keep in mind that Maclin could not contact the team’s doctors, trainers or coaches to let them know what he was going to until a month ago, a reality that had to make Maclin’s situation all the more challenging.

“I wanted to keep it private until I knew for sure what was going on, and the Eagles were amazing. They were one of the only ones who knew. My relationship with them is more than professional. They were like family during this.”

Even after Maclin put weight back on after the illness initially hit, the threat of the c-word was always present.

“The crazy part was I put weight back on, I was working out, running routes. I felt fine, but the thought was always in the back of my mind that I could have cancer.”

Maclin received negative results to all of his tests on Wednesday, so can begin to make up for time lost during training camp. Per the Eagles, Maclin has been cleared to practice beginning on Saturday.

As for what was causing is illness, Maclin says it was an inflammatory virus that has now that run its course through his body.

What are ordeal for Maclin. The actions of the Eagles during Maclin’s absence certainly indicated that there was something serious going on. I’m glad that Maclin didn’t feel the need to issue statements or speak publicly about his illness, but rather dealt with his struggle privately.

Eagles fans are incredibly glad to hear that Maclin is alright, and that this difficult chapter of his life can be closed.

Jeremy Maclin just wants to get back to normal–to get back into playing shape, be around his teammates, and play football.

“I’ve already gone through so much. I already appreciate where I am and appreciate the game of football. I can’t wait to get back out there and just resume my normal life.”

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