Getty DeSean Jackson and Nelson Agholor celebrate after a touchdown in the Eagles 32-27 win.
The DeSean Jackson Reunion Tour didn’t go very well for the Philadelphia Eagles. The 34-year-old speed threat couldn’t stay healthy and got into hot water for making anti-Semitic remarks on social media. His second stint resulted in only 23 catches for 395 yards and three touchdowns in eight games.
Those eight games weren’t even complete games — 244 offensive snaps, to be exact — as Jackson battled injury after injury, including season-ending core muscle surgery in 2019. The Eagles decided to cut bait with him this past offseason and the three-time Pro Bowler latched on with the Los Angeles Rams. Jackson will likely add his name to the Eagles’ Hall of Fame one day, but he wasn’t ready to call it quits after the 2020 campaign.
And his recent comments appear to indicate maybe he didn’t go out on his own terms in Philly. He didn’t name names but he’s only played for three franchises prior to Los Angeles: Philadelphia, Washington, Tampa Bay. Interpret his below comments at your own risk.
I’ve been on teams where certain individuals had contract issues or personal issues, or had a situation with a GM or a player, (but) when you come here [to Los Angeles], you don’t feel none of that.
You feel like everyone is on the same page, everybody has one common goal, and all the personal stuff, outside of the football world, none of that stuff matters. When you come here, we’re worried about football, we’re having fun, we’re going to get the most out of it and guys are fired up about coming into this building. I think that triggers from the top to the bottom.
To be clear, Jackson was extremely complimentary of the Eagles’ organization on his way out the door. He also said that the atmosphere with the Rams reminds him of his early days in Philly, on those Donovan McNabb-led teams in 2008 and 2009.
“When I came in [in 2008], I had guys like Brian Westbrook, Brian Dawkins, Donovan McNabb. It was a certain persona those guys upheld,” Jackson said. “And those guys that you respected held accountability to every player, from top to bottom.”
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Jason Kelce Ready to Retire After 2021?
Jason Kelce’s impending retirement has been the topic of debate for at least two offseasons now. The All-Pro center restructured his contract and wanted to come back in 2021 to finish the job after the team hit rock bottom last season.
The Eagles even drafted his potential replacement (Landon Dickerson) so maybe he can groom the youngster before he leaves. When will that be? It could be as soon as 2022.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there is a “poison pill” in Kelce’s contract that all but guarantees he’ll either be released or retire after the season. Here is how CBS Sports described the situation:
Kelce’s contract currently runs through the 2022 season, per Over The Cap, paying the four-time Pro Bowler $5.6 million in 2021 and $5.9 million in 2022. But Fowler reported Tuesday that both sides agreed this offseason that if Kelce isn’t cut or retired by June 2, 2022, the Eagles will be required to pay Kelce something like $30 million. In other words, as Fowler put it, “it’s just understood that he’s probably gonna play one more year there.”
Asking NFL people for creative Aaron Rodgers solutions, here’s one that came up a few times: A one-and-done contract scenario where Packers agree to cut or trade him by a certain date after season via poison pill, allowing for one more run while promising Rodgers a new start
Eagles Celebrate Juneteenth ‘Freedom Day’
President Joe Biden — a card-carrying Philadelphia Eagles fan — signed a measure to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday earlier this week. The June 19th date officially commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The Eagles’ organization and many other professional sports organizations were quick to applaud the move. The franchise put out a statement saying it was a time to “reflect and know what was lost.”
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