DeSean: it's a tough situation for me
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
DeSean: it's a tough situation for me
Jonathan Tamari
DeSean Jackson was inactive for yesterday's game against the Cardinals. (Yong Kim / Staff Photographer)
DeSean Jackson said he is going through a "tough situation" with the Eagles and while he danced around questions about his contract, he left little doubt about what he was talking about.
"I think it’s obvious," DeSean said when asked to elaborate on his own comments that it has been a tough year. "Everybody knows the situation, knows the case, as a professional, as a man you just have to handle things. I can admit to some things probably that I’ve done that I need to do better."
Jackson said he spoke with coach Andy Reid and his full team after being benched Sunday for missing a special teams meeting Saturday morning.
"It’s just kind of a tough situation for myself but I’ve just got to be a man about it and just learn from everything that happens," he said. He later added, "I think everybody knows the contact situation and as a human being there’s just things you have to go through in life and I realize what it is, and I’m just ready to continue and go forward."
A spokesman for Jackson has said the wide receiver overslept, but Jackson would not answer directly when he was asked if he slept too late or was making a statement about his unsettled contract.
"Don’t matter what happened, I missed the meeting and my punishment was my punishment and I’m not going to sit here and ask any other questions or answer any other questions," he said, seeming to indicate he wouldn't talk further about the flare up.
As for his relationship with the team, Jackson said he would do whatever is asked of him for the rest of the season.
"We’re just going to move forward on the situation," Jackson said. In his meeting with Reid, "he addressed it, we talked as men."
Comments (41)
This season was not the season to perform like a second tier receiver. He is not an elite receiver. He may be the best receiver and punt returner on the Eagles but in the NFL, there are 56 receivers with better numbers. Earn your pay instead of doing a reverse Chris Johnson. Franchise him then let him go.— bigcityballer- This season was not the season to perform like a second tier receiver. He is not an elite receiver. He may be the best receiver and punt returner on the Eagles but in the NFL, there are 56 receivers with better numbers. Earn your pay instead of doing a reverse Chris Johnson. Franchise him then let him go.— bigcityballer
Guy would not take a new contract paying him top 15 wr money because he really thinks he is top 3 like Fitz, Marshall and Johnson... well he is no where near a top 3 guy... I'd up him to the top 10 money due to his punt return skills but no higher— dennismithusa- seems like desean got even smaller this year, his arms definitely got shorter. He still has his quickness when running for the sidelines. Best money the Eagles never spent!— bmayer1865
- well guess what D-Jax it's a tough situation for all the fans of this team too-some of whom are, yes underpaid for the job they do-and some of whom are UNEMPLOYED-and would love a job, any job. YOU and your teammates may well be the highlight of their week/month/year-and when YOU don't show up/oversleep/underperform...get the picture?— KimThL
- Somebody will pay him too much and regret it. Look at that T.O. Story in Dallas. Same deal different player. If he would have showed up on time to camp and kept his mouth shut he would have his money. Now he is more trouble than he is worth.— Ssteve115
- A NFL contract is one that is rarely honored by the owners. Players are often cut or asked to take a pay cut to remain on the team. So to say dj should honor the contract he signed, hey lets hold the owners accountable as well— Ds31
- He will not be signed by the eagles. There is really no upside to giving him a huge deal. Someone will throw bananas money at him though. I could see him on a team like Detroit or Houston that has a good QB and a monster WR already. He would be a huge addition on teams like that.— djack10
Comment removed.- I've been a harsh critic of DeSean but in fairness, considering the amount of money he stands to lose if he were to be injured, I have a lot of respect for his willingness to further that risk by being willing to help the team by returning kicks and punts.
There are many players around the NFL wouldn't, and won't.
I think DeSean's missing the special teams meeting was probably an act of frustration and a misguided attempt at reminding Reid and the Eagles that he IS taking that risk for the team.
It was no doubt an error in judgment on his part, but I have an easier time forgiving an underpaid player expressing his unhappiness by boycotting a meeting, than I have in overlooking a highly compensated player expressing his unhappiness in the media or on the field.
Let's face it, Jackson's frustrated with his contract situation and boycotted a meeting, that's wrong.
But we've all seen much more highly paid players flat out quit on the field, ... to me, that's worse.
— andyd - A mini Terrell Owens minus the career track record = a locker room cancer. Lurie should (1) fire Reid; (2) write off the rest of the season and play Kafka or Young; (3) bring in Bill Cowher to teach this team how not to play "soft" and begin to reshape this team into a winner as he did in Pittsburgh; (4) sit Jackson for the rest of the season and don't renegotiate his contract; (5) trade Jackson in the offseason for some linbacker help and a first round draft choice.— 1republican
- Sounds like to me DeSean Jackson will be a Washington Redskin next season. C-ya!— Sportsterroy
- for those who use the " he signed a contract" line, please consider this. Whatever it is you do for a living, doctor, lawyer, car salesman, whatever. Imagine you are really good at what you do. BUT, there is only one organization that hires your talent. They base your salary on THEIR opinion of how good you are coming out of college, and offer you a 4 year deal, take it, or find a new profession. You take it, outperform it, but have ZERO options to get a better one. If you are a dcotor or a lawyer, etc... there are a bunch of epoeple willing to sign you to work for them. Even in football there are a bunch who would pay you what you want, BUT you aren't allowed to speak to them, and you aren't being paid what the 4th and 5th best players at your position ON YOUR OWN TEAM are getting, all because they all made a mistake and didn't draft you in the first round! Yeah, you signed a contract, but don't mistake that for a system where both parties negotiated from relative equal strength. Desean like him or not (and i realy don't so much) is getting robbed, and as in most businesses, you get what you pay for. You pay for a 6th best wr on your team, thats what you should expect to see.— doc al
- I'd say he makes very good money for playing a kid's game.
do other people make more than him?
sure.
there's ALWAYS somebody that makes more than you.— ekw555 - After 2 years on his rookie contract and after demonstrating Jackson was one of the most explosive players in the league, he clearly deserved some kind of new contract. He said something about it, but then waited patiently for a year and half while the team assured him they would do something for him. Meanwhile, he sees everyone around him on the team getting rewarded, including signings of scrubs like Steve Smith who can't carry his jock strap. As a person, I can understand how this has gotten inside his head and affected his attitude and play. The Eagles let it get to this point.— Guy55555
- Mini-Terrell— Nookie_Farley
- DeSean will end up playing for the Patriots and we will watch him do great things for years and wonder why he's there instead of here.— Midwest FA
- If we're LUCKY it's with the Pats! I'm thinking it's more likely he goes to Dallas or the Giants, maybe even Washington. You KNOW someone in the division would LOVE to have him, so they can rub it in our faces 2x/yr, guaranteed. — uncle meat
- hope to god he never has to take a "real" job for less than 1/10 of his current salary.
but since he has no work ethic and marketable skills besides running fast, I doubt there would be too many offers.
try grinding it out for a few years in the real world before you whine about being underpaid at 600k.
— ekw555 - He is no help now. They are 3 & 5 with him playing at the $500k level. What does he think a MAN would do? Maybe try playing at whatever level he thinks he's worth. Then ask for it. If the excuse is he is worried about being hurt at $500k, would $10 Million make him worry less? Bye Bye DJax.— jjthree
- Comment removed.
- People talk about why the Eagles aren't offering him a new contract. Did anyone stop to think that they almost surely have floated numbers with Jackson's agent, but what one side thinks he is worth may be a whole lot less than what the other side places his value at. That seems to be the problem here and its starting to tear this team apart...— martycon
- Comment removed.
- Has he outperformed his contract? Absolutely. But do players ask to decrease their salary when they don't live up to it? Nope. Honor your contract!— Phillies_80_08
- Did you really have to point out that he pronounces "asked" as "aks"?— vipers53
- Steve Smith, Babin, Nnamdi, and Vince Young should all agree to chip in and at least double DJax's salary this year.— Leegles
- Comment removed.
- IIIeagle, I don't think we can look at draft picks as compensation that will salve over our wounds anymore. This FO's recent first-round drafts have produced quite a few memorable busts: Jerome McDougle, Broderick Bunkley, Brandon Graham, Danny Watkins...— warreninrochester
In this game beegal99, even if the Eagles won't give him what he wants other teams are looking and if he behaves like this other teams will pass on him because they don't want the headache. Everyone thinks they should be paid more but I know if I miss a meeting and all I can tell my boss is I over slept through a spokesperson, I won't be benched I'll be fired.- Trade him for a first n replace him with Baldwin or jeffries.— Illeagle
- aks!!! lol! Someone should help Ike Reese out with that tricky word too.— MichaelB
- Comment removed.
- "aks" ?? That brightened my day! Wonder if he wears ASK body spray?— VA-PhillyPhan
- Yes he is immature, and people love ripping on him because his contract issue is public. But let's be honest: if you're at your job and you're grossly underpaid, do you come home from work and not complain about it? Do you go look for another job? Do you, for spite, put in less than 100% at times? I don't condone his immature actions, but I understand his desire to be paid comperable to his peers. He's not even remotely close to that number. Very frustrating situation for everyone...but Joe Banner.— beegal99
- DeSean has a contract. Is he better than his contract? Yes. But its still an agreement that he & the Eagles signed. As a professional, he has to honor that. He has to go to work & do his job or risk not getting paid. Its like this in any profession. If I miss meeting & am regularly late for work, I would lose my job. And its a job I feel that I do very well.. And I would love to get paid more to do it..— FetchDixon
- Pinkston? Get a grip. He's been double and triple teamed all year. The front office should have given him a new contract, He is one of the lowest paid players on the team. Look how much they paid for Steve Smith and Vince Young, he is one of the most dangerous players in the NFL. The reason that Maclin is getting so many balls is Jackson occupying both the corner and the Safety on every play.— bbohannon
- Comment removed.
- Just leave Desean. It won't get any better till fat boy is gone. He's a fool that never made much sence. Go to a team where you can win a championship. I'm a life long Eagle's fan and this bunch of owner's won't get anybetter. Get out of town and give yourself a chance to win. These idiots here will just destroy your career. The media will tear you to pieces too. Go somewhere you can be appreciated.— eaglelover1979
- You are right, everybody knows the situation and it's quite evident that you are not handling it as a professional or a man.— txflyer
- If "we talked as men" - that just tells me that there must have been at least one other person in the room.— Bobphxville
- I understand him wanting to preserve his health until he gets paid, but there is no getting around the fact that he has played like Todd Pinkston all year even when he's been on the field.— atlvickfan
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Birds' Eye View is the Inquirer's blog covering all things Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL.
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