December 1, 20231 yr Eagles great lobbied for Jalen Hurts to replace Carson Wentz in 2020, then trashed Wentz (x2) Quote PHILADELPHIA − It was fitting that DeSean Jackson's final reception as an Eagle came near the end of a lost 2020 season, an 81-yard bomb from Jalen Hurts that Jackson celebrated by doing a flip in the end zone. It was also fitting that Jackson re-injured his ankle on that flip and didn't play for the Eagles again. But that's another story. Jackson officially retired as an Eagle on Friday after a 15-year NFL career where he wowed teammates and opponents alike both with his unprecedented ability as a deep threat − only Jerry Rice had more touchdown catches of 50 or more yards than Jackson (36 to 34) in NFL history − and as a punt returner. STAFF PICKS:Eagles vs. 49ers predictions: Will 49ers back up trash talk in NFC Championship game rematch? YES OR NO ON ERTZ:Why Philadelphia Eagles might not go after Zach Ertz, franchise icon waived by Cardinals The most memorable was his 65-yard game-ending punt return for a TD against the Giants in 2010, forever known as "Miracle at the Meadowlands II." A decade later, Jackson's career was beset by injuries, but he still as fast as ever. And he remembers being awed by Hurts, the Eagles' controversial second-round pick in the sense that the Eagles had committed to Carson Wentz as the franchise quarterback less than a year earlier with a record $128 million contract at the time. "I was lobbying for Jalen Hurts back when we had Carson Wentz starting," Jackson said. "Everybody was like, ‘Why would we pick Jalen Hurts in the second round?’" Heck, Jackson said he knew why that summer, long before Wentz was benched for Hurts in the second half against Green Bay on Dec. 6. And he began telling Eagles general manager Howie Roseman that − constantly. "I remember we were at practice, and Jalen, he was like the backup behind Wentz, and we were sitting back – me, Howie and Alshon Jeffery at the time, and Jalen was actually going versus the starting defense," Jackson said, explaining that the backups on offense would go against the starters on defense, and vice versa. "So sitting there, watching (Hurts), I’m just seeing him slinging the ball and he’s making crazy plays, and I tapped Howie, and I said, 'Howie, I told you, that kid’s going to be special, man.'" It wasn't clear to casual observers right away, however. Hurts only completed 51% of his passes in those 4 1/2 games replacing Wentz at the end of a miserable 4-11-1 season. After the season, the Eagles fired head coach Doug Pederson, traded Wentz, and made Hurts the starter for new coach Nick Sirianni. Even then, there were no guarantees as Hurts completed 61.3% of his passes in 2021, and the Eagles were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs amid rumors that the Eagles were looking into trading for Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson. In 2022, Hurts blossomed. He led the Eagles to the Super Bowl and was the runner-up to Patrick Mahomes for the MVP award. This season, Hurts is again a front-runner for the MVP and the Eagles have the NFL's best record at 10-1 heading into their game Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. But Jackson said he first got an inkling of Hurts' potential even before that first training camp, while also taking a shot at Wentz, who is on his third team since leaving the Eagles. Wentz, who wasn't signed by a team until last month, is the Rams' backup QB. "(He and Hurts) actually trained in the offseason, and he came to Tampa," Jackson said. "And everyone was like, ‘Why is Jalen Hurts training with DeSean Jackson? And why isn’t Carson Wentz out there training?’" Jackson said he and Hurts trained together for an entire week. "I had just seen that his mentality was different then," Jackson said. "You can tell, coming from Alabama, his mentality and just how eager he was to win. He had like an older mentality. He was like an uncle or an old father. "His persona, his demeanor, he’s walking around, he’s flicking the ball. I’m like, ‘there’s something special about him.’ The game is not too big for him. It’s like he had been here before. "I definitely saw Jalen Hurts before what the world sees now." Hurts only had that one season with Jackson, and that 81-yard bomb in the 37-17 loss to the Cowboys on Dec. 27, 2020 was his third NFL start. He missed out on Jackson's heyday from being a second-round pick of the Eagles in 2008 to thriving with Michael Vick, and having a career-high 1,332 yards receiving in 2013 with both Vick and Nick Foles at quarterback. Jackson was unceremoniously released by former Eagles coach Chip Kelly in the spring of 2014. But Jackson came back to the Birds in 2019. Injuries limited Jackson to playing in just 8 of a possible 32 games. Jackson finished out his career with the Rams and Raiders in 2021, and the Ravens in 2022. Hurts said Wednesday he was a big fan of Jackson's. "I mean one of a kind in terms of his speed," Hurts said. "Watching him growing up, he was a great player, a great receiver, a great specialist with the ball in his hands in different situations. Just being able to be around him and experience playing with him, throwing to him, he was a different cat." Jackson feels the same way about Hurts. "I feel like he’s just starting," Jackson said. "I feel like he’s going to be here for a long time. He’s going to have some special moments in Philadelphia. As you can see, he’s QB1 for a reason." https://www.app.com/story/sports/nfl/eagles/2023/12/01/eagles-desean-jackson-knew-jalen-hurts-would-start-over-carson-wentz-lobbying-49ers-mvp-benching/71718779007/
December 12, 20231 yr I think they could have done him a solid and retired his jersey number. But I also can see why they didn't either.
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