DeSean Jackson formally retired from the NFL as a member of the Eagles, the mercurial wide receiver with elite speed and the ability to go get the football signing a one-day contract Friday.
Appreciative as Jackson was it was a bittersweet day. He didn’t feel like he was celebrating his 37th birthday. He thinks he can play. And he almost talked himself into giving the game one more try, explaining that he’s not really retired, just moving into a role as an entrepreneur. The documentary on his life is right around the corner.
“Man, where do I start?” Jackson said.
Moments later he thanked Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and then head coach Andy Reid, a father figure, for taking a chance on a kid from Los Angeles. His regret is he didn’t finish his career healthy, as injuries limited his availability over the last five seasons.
“Can I still play? Yes,” said Jackson, who last year saw action in seven games for the Ravens, the last of six employers. “Do I want to still play? Probably 50-50. If I could just wake up and go play on Sundays. … The Monday-through-Saturday is a little tough.
“I don’t think you’ll ever get the thrill back of running out of the tunnel and hearing the fans cheer for you.”
The latter is how Jackson wants to be remembered when he’s introduced Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field as honorary Eagles captain before their 4:25 p.m. contest with the San Francisco 49ers. Jackson always will be known for his epic, walk-off 65-yard punt return defeating the Giants at the Meadowlands Dec. 19, 2010.
That feat never gets old for Eagles Nation, as it capped a stunning run of 28 straight points in a 38-31 win over the New York Giants at the Meadowlands.
Jackson revealed that he was shocked Matt Dodge punted the ball his way, the 36-yarder knuckling everywhere.
“I’m sitting back there with 13 seconds left, and I’m like, there’s no way in the world he’s going to give me an opportunity to catch this punt,” Jackson said. “Then I could tell he shanked it.”
When Jackson fumbled the spinning football, he said everyone had shifted out of their lanes.
“I stuck my foot in the ground and just hit that little gap,” Jackson said. “Jason Avant de-cleated that guy, knocked that dude out, knocked himself out and everything else was history.”
Jackson is the first NFL player to earn Pro Bowl honors at two positions in the same season, earning the honors in 2010 as a kick returner and wide receiver. He tied the NFL record with eight touchdowns of 50-plus yards in a single season.
Jackson’s 52.8 average yards per touchdown during the 2009 season was the highest in NFL history among players with at least 10 touchdowns in a season. He’s just the second NFL player to score touchdowns receiving, rushing, and on punt return in his first three seasons.
Jackson said Friday that he would be seeing “a lot more” of the media and planned to visit Philly in his next phase of life.
“I’m going to be more involved with the team because I love what they’re doing here,” Jackson said. “It’s just a special place. This is like my second home.”
Jackson intends to be more active in the community and on social media, the latter of which got him into trouble at times like when he apologized for sharing an anti-Semitic post on Instagram just before his second tour with the Eagles in 2019. That was a difficult time in Jackson’s life as his father, Joe, passed away from cancer.
Jackson’s last catch with the Eagles was an 81-yard scoring pass from then rookie Jalen Hurts, Jackson somersaulting into the end zone late in the 2020 campaign against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Field, only to injure his ankle.
Jackson said he told general manager Howie Roseman “That kid is going to be special, man.’
“He had a different mentality,” Jackson said of Hurts. “Just how eager he was to win. He had an older mentality, like an uncle or a father. The game is not too big for him. Something special. I feel like he is just starting. He is QB1 for a reason.”
Jackson’s “last but not least” thank you came to the Philly fans of the Eagles, who have a special place in his heart.
“I played in a lot of different places in the NFL,” Jackson said.
“Philadelphia was never a dull moment. The fans were always pushing. Even if I wasn’t playing good, they would have got on my butt.
“To fulfill every dream I had is just surreal. To play for the Philadelphia Eagles, that just means the world to me.”
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NOTES >> Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert was limited at practice Friday in his comeback from a fractured forearm but did enough work to warrant a doubtful designation on the injury report. … Linebacker Zach Cunningham (hamstring) and safety Justin Evans (knee) are out for the Eagles (10-1) in Sunday’s game at the Linc versus the favored 49ers (8-3). … Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (groin) and tight end Grant Calcaterra (ankle) are questionable. The Eagles can become the first team to clinch a playoff berth this week. A win over the Niners combined with a Rams loss or tie, or a Lions loss or tie plus a Packers loss or tie get it done. The Eagles also clinch if they tie the 49ers combined with a Rams loss, a Packers loss or tie, and a Falcons loss or tie.
Source: Berkshire mont
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