It wouldn’t really be an NFL offseason without DeSean Jackson being linked to the Eagles in some capacity. We can tick that square off our Bingo cards this year, with the legendary wideout recently going as far to say as he wants to retire in Philadelphia.
DeSean Jackson opens up on his NFL future
Jackson appeared on the ’I AM AN ATHLETE’ podcast to discuss his career and what the future holds. He mentioned that he’d happily go back to the team that drafted him, even if it was late on in the year with a playoff run in mind.
“That was one of the best places I’ve been and I had a lot of success there,” he said. “Just something about Philadelphia, that Eagle green sits different with me. … So at any given time if one of these teams wanna call about Week 17, Week 18 right before playoffs and hit me up for a playoff run, I’ll be here.”
I AM AN ATHLETE Podcast (Via Ed Kracz of Sports Illustrated)
DeSean Jackson’s first Eagles tenure makes him one of the greatest wideouts the franchise has ever had the pleasure to watch put on the midnight green colors. Prior to his heartbreaking departure in 2014, Jackson had 6,117 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns while averaging 17.2 yards per catch. From the ‘Miracle in the Meadowlands II’ to the iconic celebration exhibited against Washington under the primetime lights, DJax was a star and will go down as one of the best deep-threats of all time.
DeSean Jackson’s return to the City of Brotherly Love following his unceremonious release was less than stellar. He played in only 8 games and totalled 395 receiving yards along with 3 touchdowns. Since then, he’s flashed his game-breaking speed for the Rams, Ravens, and Raiders, but they have been just that…flashes.
Should the Eagles bring DeSean Jackson back one last time?
The Eagles have one of the strongest wide receiver tandems in the entire league, but it is light on depth. If DeVonta Smith or A.J Brown were to suffer injuries, only Quez Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus are viable backups. There are some intriguing ‘speedster’ names such as Britain Covey and Devon Allen, but they’re unproven for the most part and speed is a vital part of this offense.
It wouldn’t be the worst idea to bring DeSean Jackson back into the fold, whether it’s now or in week 16/17 as DJax mentioned on the ‘I AM AN ATHLETE’ podcast, just to give that extra insurance policy.
It’s also worth noting that Jalen Hurts is also familiar with Jackson, having connected with him on an 81-yard bomb against the Dallas Cowboys of all teams.
Howie Roseman values his veteran midseason signings. Defensive line depth last year was made up almost exclusively of free agents signed during the heart of the season. From Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph, to Robert Quinn joining the EDGE group, proven vets bolstered out positions that lacked experienced talent, and it proved vital on a team that would go on to make the Super Bowl.
Unless the Eagles are confident in the growth of Olamide Zaccheaus (and it would be hard to blame them having seen his development in Atlanta), then there’s no harm in taking a flyer on DeSean Jackson one last time before he calls it a day and hangs up the cleats. Retiring in Philadelphia is something he deserves, going out on his terms – something he’s never gotten to do in Philly.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
