Getty DeSean Jackson & Mike Mayock of the Las Vegas Raiders.
DeSean Jackson’s first catch as a Las Vegas Raider ended in a costly fumble against the Kansas City Chiefs. The following game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson didn’t even see a pass thrown his way. Needless to say, the start to his Raiders tenure wasn’t great.
He broke through in a major way against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving as he had three catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. He also drew a couple of huge defensive pass interference calls that won’t show up in the stat sheet. He’s 35-years-old now but is becoming an important player for the Raiders.
Las Vegas is the fifth team that Jackson has played for throughout his 14-year career and he’s tired of moving around. Despite his age, he’s proving that he could have another year or two left in the tank. If he has it his way, he won’t play for another team besides the Raiders throughout the rest of his career.
“I’ve been with four or five teams now in my career, and just where I’m at in my career in my 14th year, I definitely hope this is my last spot,” Jackson said Thursday. “I don’t want to continuously go from team to team and continuously learn a new system. So I think here is a good spot, a good place.”
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Will Raiders Want to Bring Jackson Back Next Season?
GettyLas Vegas Raiders WR DeSean Jackson.
The Raiders offense needs a deep threat to be successful as evident over the last few games. Jackson is one of the greatest deep threats in NFL history and has the second-most receiving touchdowns of 50+ yards ever behind Jerry Rice. It wouldn’t be ideal for the Raiders to rely on a 35-year-old wide receiver with an injury history heading into next season but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t at least get a spot on the roster.
Las Vegas will likely add a couple of wide receivers in free agency and the draft in the offseason. A young speedster should be a big priority. That doesn’t mean the Raiders shouldn’t bring Jackson back for at least one more season. He’s a savvy veteran who could help the young guys and he’s clearly still good for a few big plays throughout the season. Also, he shouldn’t cost too much money to keep around. The Raiders would be wise to bring him back for another season if he’s still healthy.
Jackson Dealing With Calf Injury
Just as Jackson was starting to get comfortable with the Raiders’ offense, he got nicked up a bit. He’s been limited in practice all week with a calf injury. There was some concern that he wouldn’t be able to play against the Washington Football Team on Sunday. Luckily, it doesn’t sound like that will be the case.
“It was just a spasm in my calf. I don’t think it’s too serious,” Jackson said. “Hopefully I can still get out there this week. But going throughout the week, just being smart with it and getting the treatment and getting it ready to go. But, yeah, last week, playing 41 plays, I can’t remember the last time I played that much. Just getting acclimated, getting back there and getting it out of of my system, but like I said I don’t think it will be too big of an issue, but definitely be smart with it as well.”
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DeSean Jackson Offers Telling Insight on Raiders Future