The Philadelphia Eagles are doing a lot of housecleaning in the 2021 offseason.
They sent Carson Wentz packing to Indianapolis.
Further purging of the 2020 roster was expected so few were surprised when the news broke that Eagles WR DeSean Jackson, 34, was released.
From #Eagles WR DeSean Jackson on Instagram. No sources required here, as he’s announced he’ll be released. Was due $9 million in non-guaranteed salary this upcoming season. As he says here, he still wants to play at the age of 34. pic.twitter.com/tpubvYnjT1
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 19, 2021
With DeSean Jackson being just the latest over 30 wide receiver entered in the NFL free agent pool, what is next for him?
There are two options, get picked up by another team or retire.
Retirement does not appear to be an option in DeSean Jackson’s mind given the text in his Tweet above so he will definitely be looking for other teams to call.
Let’s look at Jackson’s statistics in his second stint with the Eagles during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
DeSean Jackson – 2019 and 2020
DeSean Jackson last career TD as an eagle pic.twitter.com/RmWdPmn6WX
— ً (@IHAVEASMALLWOOD) February 19, 2021
Jackson played in 5 games in 2020.
That is up from the 3 games he played for the Eagles the prior season.
In his 8 games over 2 seasons, he has 395 receiving yards on 23 catches.
He scored 3 touchdowns.
Jackson was sidelined by many injuries during the two seasons.
When he was on the field, he appeared to still have his trademark speed that can wreak havoc on opposing teams’ defenses.
Will He Get Picked Up By Another Team?
Teams will be wary of his recurrent injuries of the past two years.
For his career, his numbers are impressive.
He has over 10,600 yards receiving and 56 touchdowns.
8 of his 13 seasons were spent with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he is in the history books in Philly.
DeSean Jackson in Eagles’ team history:
– 6th in receptions (379)
– 9th in rec TDs (35)
– 3rd in rec yards (6,512)Only Eagle to catch a TD pass from McNabb, Kolb, Vick, Foles, Wentz, and Hurts
Thanks for the memories and Miracles 🦅 pic.twitter.com/NCzEWjCtl4
— Eagles Fan Problems (@EagleFanProbs) February 19, 2021
It is a gamble to assume he will be injury-free and be able to play 17 games in 2021.
That means if he is picked up, his salary will be significantly less.
The Eagles signed him to a 3 year $27 million contract in 2019.
Which Teams Could Be Interested?
Potentially a team like the Baltimore Ravens may be interested in Jackson.
They worked with Dez Bryant and considered adding Antonio Brown last year so they are not opposed to signing veterans who are nearing the end of their careers.
Another not far-fetched possibility is a reunion with his former Eagles HC and current Kansas City Chiefs Coach Andy Reid; Reid drafted Jackson in 2008.
Jackson spoke highly of Reid in an interview just last year.
“Coach Reid, he was a one-of-a-kind dude, bro. I cherish my relationship with him because he helped mature me, man. … He cared about his players, you get what I’m saying? There’s not too many coaches that get in-depth with relationships with players man. He’s one of them dudes, his door was always open.”
What Could He Get Paid?
For comparison purposes, the Ravens signed Bryant to a $1.05 million dollar contract last year.
Antonio Brown signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for $1.67 million last year.
Both are over 30 and are comparable in market value to Jackson for an NFL team.
That means interested teams will likely want a 1 year deal in the $1 million to $1.5 million range.
This would be a significant pay cut for DeSean Jackson.
Will he accept terms such as these?
We will have to wait and see.
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