On Wednesday Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin ended all of the speculation regarded his health and announced that he would likely be back on the field by September 11 when the new season starts.
In an interview with FoxSports.com, Maclin addressed his recent weight loss, low energy, loss of appetite, night sweats and other unhealthy symptoms which began to sprout up to the surface back in February.
"I want everyone to know I'm fine, I'm healthy," Maclin said.
While the Eagles still can’t pin down what exactly was giving Maclin so much trouble, they have been able to rule out illnesses like cancer, HIV, Lyme disease and anemia.
"We're confident that what he has is not life-threatening and he's able to go back to play football without problems," the team said in a statement. "He doesn't have lymphoma, he doesn't have Hodgkin's, he doesn't have cancer - which is the hurdle we wanted to clear."
Recently, rumors began to circulate that Maclin might have been dealing with some sort of lymphoma given the news that a large portion or all of one lymph node had been removed back on August 11. The procedure was done laparoscopically because of its non-invasive nature and quick recovery time.
"When the doctor sat me down and explained to me exactly what lymphoma is, that it's a form of cancer, it hit me when I walked out of his office and I broke down," Maclin told FoxSports.
"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 underwent a series of blood tests, PET and CT scans and other examinations in an effort to get to the root cause. Still, despite all of their efforts, the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong.
"Today was a sigh of relief," Maclin said. "I don't wish this on anybody. . . . 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."
Maclin, of course, is one of the best young receivers around and when at full strength, and brings a much-needed element to Philadelphia’s offense. Given the team’s hectic offseason, clearly they would want nothing more than to get their young stud back in time to kick off this year’s trek to a Super Bowl.
