PHILADELPHIA -- Alshon Jeffery recently walked onto the court at Wells Fargo Center before a Sixers game with his right arm immobile, in a sling. He conducted the ceremonial pre-game ringing of the Sixers' replica Liberty Bell. He waved to the raucous crowd, entirely on its feet, with his left hand.

Thursday, Jeffery made an appearance at an event sponsored by Foot Locker for the Bridesburg Boys & Girls Club, still in a sling, still in pain.

These are the sacrifices Jeffery made to help the Eagles win a Super Bowl. Pain for gain -- Jeffery played the entire season with a torn rotator cuff. He had surgery on his shoulder just 17 days after helping the Eagles beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

It was worth it.

"If I had to do it again, I'd do it again," Jeffery told NJ Advance Media. The pain "comes and goes," he added, "but you gotta be tough for it ... you gotta be Philly tough."

Jeffery said he anticipates returning to action sometime in late-July or early-August, but regardless will "for sure" be back in time for Week 1.

"I look forward to the next challenge that we have lined up for us but I just can't wait to get back to playing football," Jeffery said. "I wish I could right now."

The injury occurred during a practice in training camp during one-on-one drills when Jeffery, lined up against cornerback Patrick Robinson, went up for a catch, tried to brace himself for a fall and landed awkwardly on his shoulder.

It only felt like a sprain, he said, so he tried going back in 2-3 plays later and realized "it was more than that."

From there, Jeffery went to get an MRI and the doctor "said 'I think your season is going to be over'" because the injury would require surgery, Jeffery said.

But this was Jeffery's first season in Philadelphia, signed to a prove-it one-year, $14 million contract, and he wasn't about to sit out the entire season.

"I was looking at our trainer like, we gotta figure something out," Jeffery said. "That's what we did."

Jeffery tested the shoulder out on his own, ran around, stretched his arm out. Once he felt like he could completely lift the shoulder with enough pain tolerance to keep playing, he decided to hold off on surgery and play through it.

It was particularly painful in the week leading up to a pre-season game against the Dolphins in August, but after that, he felt good enough to perform.

"I was trying to tough it out," Jeffery said, "and once I got used to the pain it was second nature."

The injury still didn't prevent Jeffery from leading Eagles wide receivers with 768 yards and nine touchdowns, adding 219 yards and three touchdowns, including a remarkable grab in the end zone against the Patriots on a throw from Nick Foles.

Jeffery impressed the Eagles enough to receive a lucrative contract extension -- 4-years, $52.5 million -- in December, less than a year after signing a one-year deal.

Still, Jeffery was not himself, which might -- at least, in part -- explain why he only managed 57 catches off the 120 times he was targeted. Jeffery's catch-rate of 50.4 percent ranked 106th (of 118 eligible) among receivers who played at least 25 percent of a team's snaps.

As Jeffery continues to recover from his shoulder injury, the Eagles will likely spend most of the off-season with their No. 1 quarterback (Carson Wentz) and No. 1 wide receiver (Jeffery) in recovery from major injuries.

When Jeffery does return, the Eagles receiver group will look slightly different next season. The Eagles traded Torrey Smith to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Daryl Worley. On March 22, the Eagles signed veteran wideout Mike Wallace to a one-year, $4 million contract. Wallace should provide an upgrade over Smith as a deep threat on the outside.

Nelson Agholor is set to return after a break-out 2017 campaign, as is former fourth-round pick Mack Hollins, who is expected to play a larger role in 2018. The Eagles also have a new receivers coach, hiring Gunter Brewer from University of North Carolina to replace Mike Groh, who was promoted to offensive coordinator.

The Eagles also have 2017 fifth-round pick Shelton Gibson on the roster, though his spot on the 53-man roster could be in question, especially if general manager Howie Roseman elects to draft a receiver in this year's NFL Draft.

Zack Rosenblatt may be reached at zrosenblatt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZackBlatt. Find NJ.com on Facebook.