DeSean Jackson will become a free agent in March, and it sounds like he wouldn’t mind returning to the Philadelphia Eagles.
DeSean Jackson says Eagles reunion could be a ‘great story’
As Jackson enters free agency, returning to his former team is a possibility.
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Jackson appeared on a recent episode of Adam Schefter’s Know Them from Adam podcast, and he recognizes it would be a “great story” if he returned to the Eagles for the next phase of his career.
“Starting your career somewhere and obviously going to a division rival team and having the possibility of maybe going back,” Jackson said. “I mean, you kind of just think about all of that, where you started from and maybe where you want to finish it.”
Jackson wants to play for a team with a great quarterback, and he thinks Carson Wentz fits the bill. He said the NFC East as a whole has good quarterbacks, and he thinks the Eagles are in a good spot with Wentz, who impressed Jackson with his play in his rookie season.
“That was a gutsy call for the organization to really believe in a young guy like that who just came out of college and give him that shot,” Jackson said. “I think he killed it. He was lights out, had a heck of a year. He definitely showed me he can do it and he has all the intangibles of being a big-time quarterback in this league.”
Jackson was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2008 draft, and he was unceremoniously released by Philadelphia following the best season of his career in 2013. Jackson had 1,332 receiving yards and nine touchdowns and he was named to the Pro Bowl, but then-coach Chip Kelly opted to move on from him.
After spending the next three seasons with Philadelphia’s NFC East rival, Washington, Jackson is entering free agency. Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation points out that, while returning to the Eagles would make for a great story, Jackson will likely land with the team that will pay him the most money.
Jackson finished the 2016 season with 1,005 receiving yards and four touchdowns, and he’ll likely draw interest from plenty of teams, including the Buccaneers.
But Jackson’s history with the Eagles and his respect for Wentz’s play could open up the possibility of a return to Philadelphia.
See More:
