Jeremy Maclin: What Is Going on with the Philadelphia Eagle Receiver?

Jeremy Maclin, a star wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, has been held out of all of training camp and preseason activity with a mysterious illness.

The news arrived almost right after free agency began, and there has been no shortage of build-up since then. First, Maclin returned to his hometown of St. Louis to undergo further testing. Next, loud-mouthed running mate DeSean Jackson told the press that the Steve Smith signing was "insurance" for Maclin. Then, after being told that a Maclin announcement was coming, the Eagles instead decided to remain silent.

In the last couple of days, however, there have been some positive signs.

Eagles' GM Howie Roseman anticipates that the young wideout will be back with the team as early as this Saturday. Unfortunately, there still has been no official announcement regarding his return.

All of this leads me to wonder: Is Maclin's enigmatic health status something that we should be seriously worried about?

Maclin is barely 23 years old and is in by far the best shape of his life. I would imagine that if it were something that the Eagles thought was career-threatening, they wouldn't have been so clear that he is set to return.

ProFootballTalk reported this morning that the latest reports had Maclin linked to Mononucleosis:

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Tuesday came and went without Jeremy Maclin or the Eagles providing any more clarity on Maclin’s situation, despite a Monday promise from Maclin’s brother that an answer was coming.  And that is serving only to cause more speculation regarding Maclin’s condition.

Despite the rampant rumors, the word in the locker room is that Maclin suffers from mononucleosis and/or the lingering effects of it.  Maclin disclosed in April that he lost 15 pounds in February with a “mono-like” illness.

"

While Mononucleosis is a horrible thing to deal with, Eagles fans can rest easy knowing that Michael Vick's No. 1 receiver should be ready to play sometime soon.

Of course, this was never really about Jeremy Maclin the receiver, it was about Jeremy Maclin the person. As hardcore a football fan you might be, no one would ever wish harm to a 23-year-old kid just trying to make it in life.

Luckily, it looks like the Eagles' star will be back terrorizing defenses in no time. Meanwhile, the entire football community can take a deep sigh of relief knowing that the kid from Kirkwood, Missouri is going to be OK.

UPDATE: Maclin had a lymphoma "scare," and should be good to go soon. Check out ProFootballTalk for the latest on Maclin's recovery.