DeSean Jackson stirred the pot a little on Monday when he told reporters he deserved a new contract and was hopeful his agent could get it done. The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver still has three years and $30 million, but he remains unsatisfied. However, now he is taking back his new demands after getting hit with criticism.
Jackson took to Instagram to backpedal on his statements regarding his wishes for a new contract. "To clarify any info that yall [sic] people got twisted up," Jackson said. "I didn't ask for a new contract . . . I'm blessed to be at the level where I feel my stats did the talking . . . Injury free year & healthy and wish the season would have ended different with a ring . . . But I'm hopeful that will happen soon . . . Don't listen to mixed words I didn't say . . . Tired of dumb info being twisted to what I didn't say word up!!"
The wide receiver followed it up with the favorite response of athletes everywhere, "I was only answering a question." Jackson did answer a question honestly, but there can be such a thing as too much honesty. The receiver made note last season that he was not thrilled with his new contract. He has since switched agents and is still not happy.
"I definitely feel it's something deserving," Jackson said, via CSNPhilly.com. "We'll see how that plays out, and hopefully we can work things out smoothly and not have to worry about anything out of the ordinary. But I definitely feel like it's deserving. I'm proven in this league, and after this past year, went out there, no distractions, and just really put it all in for my team and went out there and had a lot of success, so we'll see how it goes."
The debate is really not whether or not Jackson is deserving, it is more that the Eagles have other priorities when it comes to contracts this offseason. Two other receivers are looking for new deals as their contracts are set to expire. Both Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper are hoping to be retain by Philadelphia instead of hitting free agency. Maclin missed the entire season with an ACL tear while Cooper became a breakout star in his place.
Both players have told reporters they want to be retained. The Eagles will ignore Jackson's demands unless it means they could adjust his current contract to help their financial situation. General manager Howie Roseman remained optimistic that the team could retain both Maclin and Cooper.
"I think the future is bright for Jeremy Maclin," Roseman said. "This isn't an open buffet, [where] you can have anything you want. That would be a beautiful thing. Jeremy's worked extremely hard, and he's extremely determined to come back."
It is a good thing Jackson was "just answering a question." The Eagles cannot work out a new deal for him while keeping both Maclin and Cooper on the roster.
