Ex-Cal Star DeSean Jackson Faces Uncertain NFL Future

Will Eagles keep him after injury-plagued season? Will he retire? Will he sign with another team?

Former Cal star wide receiver DeSean Jackson has had a laudable NFL career, but his future in the league remains a mystery.

He turned 34 years old in December and his last two seasons with the Eagles have been ruined by injuries that have limited him to eight games in 2019 and 2020 combined. However, Jackson has given no indication that he plans to retire, suggesting he expects to play at least one more season in 2021.

Whether that will be in Philadelphia remains unclear. A number of reports have suggested that the Eagles will release Jackson.

Jackson has three more seasons left on his Eagles contract, but 2020 reportedly was the final season in which his salary was guaranteed. Plus, the 2022 and 2023 years in the contract are voided if Jackson's deal is not extended by the Eagles. 

Partly because he has missed so much time the past two seasons, partly because he is 34 yeas old and partly because retaining Jackson would be a $10.6 million salary-cap hit for an Eagles team that has cap issues, the logic suggests the Eagles will let Jackson go this offseason.

But in his only game in the second half of the 2020 season, Jackson demonstrated why he still might be an attractive commodity. 

After missing three games with a hamstring injury and seven more with an ankle injury, Jackson returned for a Dec. 27 game against the Cowboys.  He was targeted just once in that game, but that one target resulted in an 81-yard touchdown reception from Jalen Hurts, as seen here:

“Well, obviously, DeSean’s an electric player, explosive player, and that was obviously a designed shot play and again, well executed for the touchdown,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said during his postgame interview, according to pennlive.com.

Jackson is still a big-play threat. That became apparent in his three seasons at Cal (2004, 2005, 2006) when he scored 29 touchdowns, including one rushing and six on punt returns.

And it is apparent in the NFL as well. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Jackson has led the league in yards per catch four times, and as recently as 2018. He has 56 career receiving touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns and four punt-return touchdowns.

But the Eagles fired Pederson and replaced him with Nick Sirianni. Howie Roseman is still their general manager, but the Eagles may want to start anew with a new head coach and possibly a new, young starting quarterback (Hurts).

Jackson indicated to Mike Garafalo after sustaining the midseason ankle injury that he planned to play in 2021, even though that injury nearly ended his 2020 season.

From @gmfb: #Eagles WR DeSean Jackson has a similar injury to TE Dallas Goedert -- a non-displaced fracture in his ankle -- and is out 6-8 weeks. Jackson is frustrated but highly motivated to get back this year and next. pic.twitter.com/p0NQippVeU

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 24, 2020

Presumably some team would be willing to sign Jackson -- perhaps for a bargain price and perhaps for just one season --  because Jackson can still produce explosive plays, even though his age and recent injury history might reduce his value.

He had just nine catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns in the only three games he played in 2019, and he added 14 receptions for 236 yards and one touchdown in his five games in 2020.

Jackson also brings some baggage, including some remarks made last summer that created a controversy and prompted an apology.

But teams are always looking for that guy who can turn a game around in a matter of seconds. We are betting Jackson will play in in the NFL in 2021, perhaps in 2022 as well, but we are also betting it won't be with the Eagles.

Cover photo of DeSean Jackson by Bill Streicher, USA TODAY Sports

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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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