DeSean Jackson Retires With Philadelphia Eagles, Says Goodbye by Validating Jalen Hurts
PHILADELPHIA - DeSean Jackson was a dominant wide receiver and an explosive punt returner during a 15-year NFL career in which he was arguably the best deep threat in NFL history.
Turns out Jackson's push toward Canton, Ohio might also include his personnel acumen.
Jackson, now 37, officially called it a career on Friday at the NovaCare Complex, signing a one-day deal to retire as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, the team that selected him in the second round of the 2008 draft at No. 49 overall.
The 5-10, 175-pound receiver spent his first six seasons in Philadelphia, earning three Pro Bowl honors and an All-Pro nod before returning for a second stint in 2019-2020.
It was that last tenure where Jackson got to know Jalen Hurts. His last reception with the franchise was an exclamation point on his unprecedented success as a home-run hitter, an 81-yard touchdown throw from Hurts against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16 of what was a lost 2020 season, Doug Pederson's last as a coach in Philadelphia and Hurts' first as the cost-effective backup to the then-slipping Carson Wentz.
DeSean Jackson returned to the NovaCare Complex to retire as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
John McMullen/Eagles Today
A second-round pick with plenty of question marks just like Jackson was 12 years earlier, Hurts quickly gained a fan in D-Jax.
"I think I was lobbying for Jalen Hurts back when we had Carson Wentz starting at that time," Jackson said. "Everybody was like, ‘Why would we pick Jalen Hurts in the second round?’"
There is usually some hyperbole involved for those who claim to be on the ground floor of players who develop into stars but there is evidence to back up Jackson's claim, namely the fact that it was Hurts who went to Florida to train with the speedster, not Wentz.
"One thing I could say, back when I was here in 2020, we actually trained in the offseason, and he came to Tampa … And everyone was like, ‘Why is Jalen Hurts training with DeSean Jackson? And why isn’t Carson Wentz out there training?’" Jackson said. "It was actually, he made it convenient because I trained in Tampa and he came out there and trained with me. We trained for like a whole week. We was able to build.
"I had just seen that his mentality was different then."
The belief also dated back to practice when a then-backup Hurts would give the No. 1 defense fits. Jackson stood on the sideline much like Friday's practice when he was greeted by A.J. Brown, Quez Watkins, and wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead among others.
Alongside Alshon Jeffery with Howie Roseman within reach, Jackson playfully poked the GM.
"I remember we were at practice, and Jalen, he was like the backup behind Wentz, and we were sitting back – me, Howie, and Alshon Jeffery at the time -- and Jalen was actually going versus the starting defense … So sitting there, watching him, I’m just seeing him slinging the ball and he’s making crazy plays," Jackson said. " I tapped Howie, and I said, ‘Howie, I told you, that kid’s going to be special, man.’"
The roadblock was the $128 million extension Wentz had signed as the face of the franchise.
Ultimately, Wentz went so far off the rails that Pederson felt he had to bench him by the end of that 2020 season. From there, the relationship was damaged and Wentz forced his way out to the Indianapolis Colts, which opened the door to Hurts.
While it would be revisionist history to say the Eagles dove into the pool headfirst with Hurts, the young quarterback seized his opportunity with a rare work ethic coupled with natural leadership skills and a unique skill set to the point he became the runner-up to MVP Patrick Mahomes last season and is now the leader in the clubhouse of the same award this time around.
Hurts just wants it more than most of his peers.
"You can tell, coming from Alabama, his mentality and just how eager he was to win," Jackson said. "He had like an older mentality. He was like an uncle or an old father."
Nothing seemed too big for Hurts when interacting with a player with the cachet of Jackson.
"The game was never too big. His persona, his demeanor, he’s walking around, he’s flicking the ball. I’m like, ‘there’s something special about him,’" said Jackson. "The game is not too big for him. It’s like he had been here before."
Fast forward to 2023 and Hurts is one of the faces of the NFL after winning 27 of his past 29 starts, including 16 of 17, and 14 straight against teams with winning records, the longest such run since at least 1950.
"I definitely saw Jalen Hurts before what the world sees now," Jackson said. "I feel like he’s just starting. I feel like he’s going to be here for a long time. He’s going to have some special moments in Philadelphia."
