DeSean Jackson will remain an Eagle. With one big stipulation.
The Eagles announced Friday evening that they've fined Jackson an undisclosed amount for what they called “conduct detrimental to the team” and while acknowledging his apology, warned Jackson that he will be released if he doesn’t "support his words with actions" following offensive social media posts earlier this week.
The team's statement read in part, “He understands that in order to remain on the team, he must also commit to supporting his words with actions.”
In a previous statement, the Eagles called Jackson’s tweet citing a fake Hitler quote as “absolutely appalling.”
According to terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, NFL teams can fine a player up to one week’s pay for conduct detrimental to the team. For Jackson, who has a 2020 base salary of $6.2 million, that would be $364,706.
The CBA also allows teams to suspend a player for conduct detrimental to the team up to four weeks without pay, which would be $1.459 million.
NFL
The Eagles’ statement said team officials — presumably owner Jeff Lurie and-or general manager Howie Roseman — have had encouraging conversations with the 33-year-old Jackson about his posts and said, “This is only the beginning.”
Jackson, the 4th-leading receiver in Eagles history, returned to the team last year after spending 2014 through 2018 with Washington and Tampa Bay. He's signed through 2021.
Here is the full text of the Eagles’ statement:
This has been a difficult and emotional week for our community and organization. The Philadelphia Eagles do not tolerate hate towards any individual or group. We believe in respect and equality for all races, ethnicities, and faiths. We as an organization want to help be an instrument for positive change. This can only occur through strong, deliberate actions and a commitment to learn and grow.
We have had a number of constructive conversations over the last few days, not only with DeSean Jackson, but also with many other players, members of the organization, and leaders in the community. That has led us to the point where we and he are ready to take the next steps.
Today we have penalized DeSean for conduct detrimental to the team. He accepted these consequences and apologized. In our many conversations with him, it has also been made clear that this is only the beginning. We have discussed a concrete plan for how we and he can heal moving forward. He understands that in order to remain on the team, he must also commit to supporting his words with actions. We have been encouraged by his desire to educate himself, but we all understand that there is still a lot of work to be done. We will continue to assist DeSean in this process, and we also know that all of us in our organization need to listen and learn more about things that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable to us.
We must continue to fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination, while not losing sight of the important battle against systemic racism.
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