When the Rams signed wide receiver DeSean Jackson this offseason, there were plenty of people interested in seeing how he’d fare on deep balls from quarterback Matthew Stafford this season.
Week Three saw Jackson score a 75-yard touchdown and he had a 68-yard gain a couple weeks later, but Jackson only caught six more passes and his dwindling playing time led the team to cut him after failing to find a trade partner earlier this week. On Wednesday, Stafford said he appreciated the chance to play with Jackson and that he wishes things would have worked out for a longer stay.
“It’s disappointing that it didn’t work out,” Stafford said, via Skyler Carlin of USAToday.com. “I’ve got a ton of respect for DeSean and how talented he is as a player. I reached out to him afterwards and just said, ‘Man, it was fun playing with one of the all-time great deep threats.’ Being able to connect with him on a long one against Tampa was cool. It didn’t work out for whatever reason and I just know that I trust our front office and our coaching staff to put us in the best position to try to succeed.”
With Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Van Jefferson all playing well, Stafford won’t be suffering for places to go with the ball in Jackson’s absence.