Veteran wide receiver DeSean Jackson has agreed to a one-year deal to join the Los Angeles Rams, the team announced Sunday. The terms of the deal are unknown at this time.
It’s been nearly 15 years since DeSean Jackson played for a team in his home state.
Rams coach Sean McVay reached out to Jackson to bring him to Los Angeles, NFL Network reported.
The 34-year-old Jackson was a second-round pick of the Eagles in 2008. He spent six seasons with the Eagles, three in Washington, two in Tampa, and two more in Philadelphia.
The 34-year-old wideout has 612 catches for 10,656 yards and 56 touchdowns in 160 career games (154 starts).
He started five games with the Philadelphia Eagles last season, catching 14 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown.
Rams coach Sean McVay reached out to Jackson to bring him to Los Angeles, NFL Network reported.
Jackson, who will team up with new Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, played under then-offensive coordinator McVay from 2014-16 with the Washington Football Team.
Jackson instantly gives the Rams a field-stretching deep threat for quarterback Matthew Stafford. One that will soften up the crossing routes and underneath areas where Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp function best.
In his prime, Jackson was one of the most dangerous deep threats in football. The three-time Pro Bowler has posted five seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards and seven seasons exceeding 900 receiving yards.
He’s also posted 17.4 yards per receptions over his career, twice averaging more than 20 yards per catch in a season.
The biggest question for Los Angeles is whether Jackson still has the ability to take the top off a defense with his speed. He’s now 34 and has missed 28 games over the past three seasons.
Rams hasn’t played a full season since 2013 (though he played in 14 or more games three times in that time period). He missed 11 games in 2020, and he missed 13 games in 2019.
If Jackson can stay healthy and hasn’t lost a step, he’ll be an interesting weapon for the Rams. If he can’t, he’s a relatively low-risk addition, making him a gamble worth taking.
