Like Titans running back Chris Johnson, Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson has grossly outperformed his slotted rookie contract after only two NFL seasons.
Unlike Johnson, Jackson isn’t complaining about it, yet.
Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News compares and contrasts the situations, throwing a roundabout bouquet to Jackson and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, for not taking a stand in search of a long-term deal despite a labor environment with no salary cap -- but with a rule restricting the ability of teams to re-do existing deals.
“Johnson’s way essentially is to ignore the realities of the uncapped year and stay home until the Titans find a way to show him the money,” Domowitch writes. “Jackson, on the other hand, has dealt with his situation much more maturely. Just 2 years after falling into the middle of the second round of the draft because of character and work-ethic questions, the Pro Bowl wide receiver is rapidly developing into one of the locker-room leaders of a young Eaglesteam that has just one non-kicker over the age of 29 on its roster.”
With all due respect to Domowitch, he overlooks four key realities.
First, Jackson has only two years left on his deal, not three. So the end of the tunnel is a full season closer for the receiver.
Second, despite Jackson’s small stature, his position allows him to play effectively well into his 30s. Thus, he’ll likely have plenty of chances to get paid. For Johnson, a workhorse tailback whose best years quickly will be behind him, time is of the essence.
Third, Rosenhaus surely doesn’t look back on his handling of the Terrell Owens situation as the finest moment of the agent’s career. The strategy for getting T.O. a new deal was based on creating the biggest possible mess in the hopes that Owens would be cut or traded. By learning from that situation, Rosenhaus can rebuild bridges with the Philly front offices, and possibly with some of the fans.
Fourth, although Jackson has already said plenty of things that have caused many to regard him as “Baby T.O.,” he doesn’t want to be tied to closely to the guy who has been at times a chronic malcontent. Thus, he’s taking an un-T.O. approach to the situation.
So Jackson is fine with his current predicament. “I feel God has a plan for me,” he recently told Sporting News. “My contract situation is up in the air, but I’m confident everything will happen in the right way.”
Domowitch calls that maturity. Others might regard it as naivete. Either way, Johnson and Jackson’s circumstances are far different than Domowitch believes.
That said, Jackson deserves a new deal. The 49ers found a way to make it happen with linebacker Patrick Willis even though he had two years remaining on his contract. The Eagles can do the same, if they choose to do so.