Vick on DeSean: 'He'll be here'
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Vick on DeSean: 'He'll be here'
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Quarterback Michael Vick confirmed that DeSean Jackson, after a nearly two-week holdout, will report to Eagles training camp on Monday.
"I don't know the details, I just know he'll be here," Vick said Sunday after a soupy afternoon walkthrough.
Vick said he spoke with Jackson Saturday night, but he that didn't know exactly when his No. 1 wide receiver would arrive Monday. Did Jackson, though, sound excited about coming to camp or did he sound as if he may show up disgruntled?
"I can say he's excited to be back," Vick said. "He's ready to come back and play football. He said when he comes back he's going to handle his business and he'll be the consummate teammate."
Jackson is believed to want a new contract. He is entering the final year of a four-year contract he signed as a rookie in 2009. He is slated to earn approximately $600,000 in base salary this season. The Eagles have not started negotiating with Jackson, as is team protocol when dealing with a holdout from a player under contract.
Vick, franchised in March, is also only signed for one more year, but the Eagles are said to be already in talks with Vick's agent, Joel Segal, about an extension. So who gets the extension first, if the Eagles are indeed also interested in reworking Jackson's deal?
"I'm not concerned about that, whether he's first or I'm first," Vick said. "We haven't talked about it. We are both important to the team so whoever goes first it doesn't matter to me. Our play has got to speak for itself."
After a few early rough practices, Vick has been sharp in camp. He hasn't had his top two receivers to throw to with Jeremy Maclin sidelined with an unexplained illness and Jackson holding out.
"You're always excited when you're getting your No. 1 guy back," Vick said. "It's self-explanatory. It speaks for itself. I'm excited."
Pay the man! Pay both of them in fact— LAdelphia
Comment removed.- My question is this. The Eagles told Desean to come to camp and they would discuss his contract. They have never discussed contracts with players who hold out did he think he was better than everyone else? If they wanted to discuss weeks ago why did he not come to camp, sounds to me like Desean was out there hanging with Snoop Dog and the rest of his rapper friends and did not want to come to camp. Hope he can pass the drug test. If you read some of this tweets this summer, the boy had problems.— Blessed8251
- Both players deserve new deals, but the Birds won't change team policy for Jackson just b/c he's a great player; and they shouldn't. Lurie, Banner and Reid will be happy to pay DJack, for his sake and b/c they need to maintain credibility with all the young guys and FAs they just brought in. But they'll have to re-work Vick's deal first to free up salary cap space for DeSean. Go Birds!— Eaglesfan in IL
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- SDP_STAFF: I don't like holdouts any more than you do. But, the Eagles want a new deal as much as Vick and Jackson do. They are both stars in the last year of an existing contracts. And the Eagles front office always works extensions during the season for players in the last year of their contract if they want to keep that player. If the Birds don't work the extension, it means they don't want that player back, or at least that they can live without him. Clearly that's not the case with Vick or Jackson.— Eaglesfan in IL
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- sdp, if a contract is a contract, why are NFL teams allowed to cut a player under contract at any time. How come, a few years ago, Banner told Runyan he had to take a pay cut or be cut, even though he had a contract. NFL always wants the players to "honor" their contracts. but the league won't do the same.— mike l
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- Anyone who says in reference to a NFL contract "a contract is a contract and he should just shut up" is a moron or a tea bagger or a very sad bitter jealous person who should probably do something about the fact they make 7 dollars an hour besides complaining about sports players who make more.
If you can not understand why these people earn waht they do you are a moron and can not be told why. Also NFL contracts mean almost nothing. A team can cut a player anytime. And a player what they do is hold out to get a new deal to pay them what they are worth. Some players are right to ask for more like DeSean and some are wrong OSi.— andyreidisfat - Comment removed.
- They need to pay him. He is only being helped by Maclins mysterious illness. I hope they have the money to pay them both as Vick has earned a new contract as well— yourdaddy!
- The Jets just signed Santonio Holmes for 5 years $50 million deal, that's $10 million per year....Eagles need to pay DeSean the same $10 million per year.— frank105
- Football is the only sport in which the teams do not have to honor their ends of the contract. Football players also have the shortest careers and the most health problems after their careers are over. So I don't blame guys like Desean (who certainly know first hand how violent a game football can be) for holding out when there is no doubt that they've outperformed their contracts. If Desean were to suffer a career ending injury he'd be out of a job ASAP without the team honoring whatever years are left. Get your money Desean, it's cutthroat out there.— Freeway Ricky
