DeSean Jackson Apologizes
LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD — Will DeSean Jackson be back? Even the receiver himself is unsure.
“I wish I could give you an answer saying if I’m going to be here next year or not but honestly I really don’t know,” he said. “We’ll see how it plays out.”
In what could be his final game in an Eagles uniform, Jackson ended with four grabs for 86 yards against the Redskins, including a season-long 62-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter. It is the kind of play that elevated him into star status, and the very element that was so glaringly absent for much of the season.
Jackson said he didn’t think about the potential finality of it all during the course of the game. But you could tell he’s been doing a lot of soul-searching of late. With the season officially over, he allowed reporters a glimpse into his thoughts.
“I can admit to letting certain things affect me during the season,” said Jackson. “I kind of want to apologize — I could have handled that a little different — but now sitting here with the season over I can just say I was able to put it behind me and just fight for my teammates, fight for my organization knowing that something good was going to come out of the situation. I was finally able to get to that and move forward.”
What realization did Jackson come to that gave him peace about his situation?
“I was fighting a battle that you really can’t control and at the end of the day, I play football. That’s what my job is,” he said. “I can’t really get frustrated over a contract situation or that I’m not paid the how I think I should be, whatever the case may be I can’t allow that to go on as a professional.”
Jackson has been receiving praise both from his coaching staff and teammates for his approach to the game over the last several weeks. The production has stepped up a notch, with Jackson catching nine balls for 176 yards and a score over the last two games.
“I’m young still. I went through what I went through but I was able to shake myself out of it and come back to reality and just give it my all, play hard and do things the right way,“ said Jackson. “I think you can tell a lot about a person and his character to see how they finish. Not how they start but how they finish.”
Jackson indicated that he would be fine if the Eagles decided to place the franchise tag on him, a move that would net the receiver an estimated $9.5 million in 2012. They could franchise-and-trade him as well, or simply let him walk and become a free agent.
“I hope DeSean’s back,” said Brent Celek. “He’s a great asset to our team. He can take the top off of any defense and guys are scared of him. I really think we need him, I hope he’s back and he’s a good teammate. I like the guy.”
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