As DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery nearing return from injury, is Arcega-Whiteside the odd man out for Eagles?

Eagles coach Doug Pederson is nearing the time when he will have to make a decision at wide receiver, and that could mean a reduced, or no role, for J.J. Arcega-Whiteside.

That's because Alshon Jeffery is beginning his third week of practicing after recovering from foot surgery last December, with a return possible this Sunday against the Steelers.

LATE-ROUND GEMS:Eagles Howie Roseman found these 15 gems late in the NFL draft, or off the waiver wire

DeSean Jackson missed the Eagles' 25-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers with a hamstring injury. It's possible that he could play this Sunday, too.

Both practiced Wednesday on a limited basis, but Pederson wouldn't commit to either of them playing.

In addition, rookie Jalen Reagor is on injured reserve after having thumb surgery, with a likely return next month.

During their absences, Greg Ward has continued to be the Eagles' most reliable receiver, leading the team in receiving yards with 146 and second in receptions with 14; and rookie John Hightower made an impact with a critical fourth-down reception on the Eagles' go-ahead touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter against the 49ers.

That touchdown, of course, was scored by Travis Fulgham, promoted from the practice squad the day before the game. Fulgham hauled in Carson Wentz's deep pass down the sideline from 42 yards out.

Wentz found a quick rapport with Fulgham, who only joined the Eagles on Aug. 30, and Hightower.

"I think those guys have a great job working their butts off since they got here," Wentz said. "John, being a rookie, has continued to learn and progress. I’ve gotten a handful of reps with him throughout training camp. Travis a little bit of a different story. I didn’t really get a lot of reps really until last week.

"Sometimes it’s just getting the reps that week and making the most of it. Sometimes It’s keeping your playlist, your game plan, simple with the routes those guys can do, playing fast and executing it."

Wentz has never really found that same rapport with Arcega-Whiteside, who didn't have a reception in the Eagles' first three games before missing the game against the 49ers with a calf injury.

"J.J. is still a part in what we're doing," Pederson said. "We're looking forward to getting him back in the offense and working with the guys."

On Monday, Pederson said: "Honestly, I hope we have those tough choices to make. That would be a great situation because right now, we're not in that situation. So it would be great to have those choices."

Arcega-Whiteside was the Eagles' second-round pick in 2019. He had just 10 receptions for 169 yards and a touchdown. His yardage for the season was only nine more than that of Seattle's D.K. Metcalf in the playoff game against the Eagles last January.

Metcalf currently leads the NFL in yards receiving with 403, or 403 more than Arcega-Whiteside.

The Seattle Seahawks took Metcalf seven picks after Arcega-Whiteside in the draft. 

But Jackson hasn't had the same success this season that he had with Wentz in the one full game Jackson played in last season before a core muscle injury ended his season.

In that one game, the season opener against Washington, Jackson had TD catches of 51 and 53 yards. In the three games Jackson played in this season, his longest reception is 27 yards. He's averaging just 12.1 yards per catch, by far the lowest in his career, now in its 13th season.

"It’s tough," Wentz said. "Injuries are a part of this game, and that’s unfortunate. (Jackson), he’s had quite the career, stayed relatively healthy, and everyone knows what he’s capable of doing. So obviously it’s tough not to have him on the field. We get it. I’ve dealt with injuries. Everyone has gone through injuries at one time.

"I feel that there’s great chemistry when he is on the field, and there are always big plays to be had with him. But also these other guys have been stepping up. The big play is right there. We’ve had opportunities, and we’ll keep hitting them."

But Pederson said Jackson, who's 33 years old, will have to be monitored, and possibly eased back in order to keep him healthy.

That means it's likely that Fulgham will keep getting his chances. And the same could be true for Hightower, and possibly even Watkins, who has yet to play in an NFL game.

Hightower, the fifth-round pick out of Boise State, had 2 catches for 22 yards against the 49ers. He has 5 catches for 39 yards this season.

"John's a talented receiver with good speed and good hands, great athleticism," Pederson said. "He's smart. And John's learning how to play at this level. We've challenged him a couple of times. And he's really responded positively, and each week, he's gotten more and more comfortable with the game plan. And Carson is getting more comfortable with him."

All of which could make Pederson's decision even tougher.

No practice for Lane Johnson, McLeod

RT Lane Johnson, who missed most of the first half Sunday with an ankle injury, did not practice Wednesday. Neither did S Rodney McLeod, who has a hamstring injury, despite playing every snap Sunday. 

Also sitting out were LB T.J. Edwards and S Rudy Ford (both hamstring) and CB Avonte Maddox (ankle).

The group of limited participants consisted of DT Fletcher Cox (rest), S Marcus Epps (rib), LG Nate Herbig (groin) and C Jason Kelce (hip).

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.