Inside the Iggles
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DeSean Jackson answers every question Eagles fans have concerning him

By Geoffrey Knox

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 08: DeSean Jackson #10 of the Philadelphia Eagles smiles prior to the game against the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field on September 8, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 08: DeSean Jackson #10 of the Philadelphia Eagles smiles prior to the game against the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field on September 8, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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DeSean Jackson (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
DeSean Jackson (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /

“I always have a chip on my shoulder”.

There’s a phrase that’s been mentioned from time to time, though it’s hard to remember at this point who the original source of the comment was. “Being injured is almost like being off of the team”. Fans question whether or not the afflicted are capable of playing with those nicks and bruises and how serious those aches and pains are. Those guys often don’t travel on road trips, and they sit out of practice (or they work out in some lonely area by themselves).

For “10”, the 2019-2020 season had an additional spin. Welcomed back like a conquering hero in March of 2019, Jackson was a member of the home team at Lincoln Financial Field again, but he saw the cheers vanish once the injury report read “out” and the criticism and name-calling increased.

He was called “selfish”. He saw the criticism and everyone’s opinion of him. He’s seen the comments and read them. He knows that none of you believe he’s sturdy enough for the 16-game grind of the NFL regular season anymore. He knows he has something to prove to the fans and to himself, but as he told Spadaro, he always has a chip on his shoulder.

Here’s his message for the doubters.

"I definitely feel that this surgery that I had has reconstructed (and) strengthened (me). It’s built (the muscle) up to a whole other level. A lot of people that I talked with that had the same surgery (said) that they came out better on the other side… I’ll, hopefully, come back faster, stronger. I’m definitely ready to roll. I’ll fly high."

He did say “hopefully”. You can’t ignore that, and yes, we’ll all have to wait and see what happens, but physical stature is only one part of the NFL star’s evaluation process. Whether or not he’s a great teammate is also important, and in 2019, Jackson had his character questioned some.

Has he changed? Some would say he’s never been a bad guy, but there were fans who made it sound like they were sold this idea of a grown-up DeSean Jackson and were betrayed. That’s a little excessive. You’ve never heard his teammates and coaches call him selfish, but the question has been asked again by fans, so let’s talk about his maturity level, shall we?

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