Eagles agree to a trade for DeSean Jackson

Share

Updated: 7 p.m.

It took him a few years, but Howie Roseman has undone another one of Chip Kelly’s bizarro roster moves.

The Eagles have reacquired wide receiver DeSean Jackson, five years after Kelly released him following the 2013 season, a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Derrick Gunn. 

The Eagles gave up their 2019 sixth-round pick for Jackson and Tampa Bay's seventh-round pick in 2020, a source confirmed.

The speedy Jackson, already the fourth-leading receiver in Eagles history with 6,117 receiving yards, spent 2014 through 2016 with the Redskins and the last two seasons with the Buccaneers.

He has openly campaigned to rejoin the team that drafted him in the second round 11 years ago, and he instantly gives the offense the explosive firepower that’s been missing since Kelly released him five years ago this month.

There’s no question Jackson can still run.

Even at 31, he led the NFL this past season with 18.9 yards per catch. It was the fourth time he’s led the league in yards-per-catch, and his 17.4 career average is third-highest in the NFL over the last 25 years behind Henry Ellard (18.2) and Devery Henderson (17.9).

In Carson Wentz, Jackson now has a quarterback who should be able to get the most out of him, and Wentz for the first time has a true deep threat to take the top off opposing defenses.

Jackson had one year remaining on the three-year, $33.5 million contract he signed with the Buccaneers before the 2017 season. That deal pays him $10 million with a $10 million cap hit in 2019.

According to ESPN's Tim McManus, Jackson's re-worked deal is worth $27 million over the next three years. He was originally slated to earn $10 million this year on the final year of the three-year deal he signed with the Bucs in 2017.

Jackson has had five 1,000-yard seasons — three with the Eagles and two with the Redskins — and he made three Pro Bowls, all with the Eagles, most recently in 2013.

He’s among the best in NFL history turning in big plays, and the numbers are crazy.

Jackson has 29 career touchdowns of 50 yards or more, second-most in NFL history behind Jerry Rice. That includes 24 receiving, four on punt returns and one rushing.

His 24 career receiving touchdowns of at least 50 yards are fifth-most in NFL history, behind Hall of Famers Rice (36), Randy Moss (28), Lance Alworth (27) and Terrell Owens (27).

Jackson has the unusual distinction of scoring the most 50-yard touchdowns since 1960 by an Eagle (17) and the most 50-yard touchdowns since 1950 against the Eagles (3).

What this move means for Nelson Agholor remains to be seen.

As of now, the Eagles have three wide receivers under contract with huge salary cap figures for 2019: Alshon Jeffery ($14.725 million), Jackson ($10 million) and Agholor ($9.387 million). They are the highest, sixth- and seventh-highest cap figures on the roster at the moment.

The Eagles have until 4 p.m. Wednesday – the start of the league year – to release Agholor with zero dead money or restructure his contract to spread out the cap hit. If they do neither, that $9.387 million figure becomes real money. It becomes guaranteed and that means it will count fully against the 2019 cap.

Since he entered the league in 2008, Jackson has 36 100-yard games, sixth-most in the league during that span.

His biggest catch as an Eagle was probably the 62-yarder from Donovan McNabb to give the Eagles a lead over the Cards in the fourth quarter of the 2008 NFC Championship Game.

Jackson has played with some talented quarterbacks – McNabb, Michael Vick and Nick Foles here and Kirk Cousins in Washington, but he never clicked in Tampa with Jameis Winston or Ryan Fitzpatrick – although he did have a 75-yard TD from Fitzpatrick against the Eagles in September.

Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.

More on the Eagles

Contact Us