The Philadelphia Eagles condemned DeSean Jackson’s anti-Semitic Instagram activity with a strong statement on Tuesday, and it is now fair to wonder if their next move could be to release the veteran wide receiver.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes, the Eagles could cut Jackson if they determined that his social media activity violates the terms of his contract. Jackson is guaranteed $4.8 million this season and already received a $2 million bonus.
Eagles decision on whether to keep DeSean Jackson could come down to whether post is a default under his contract. Jackson is guaranteed $4.8M this year in salary and already received a $2M option bonus. Eagles could try to figure out a way out of guaranteed salary first.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 7, 2020
Jackson was limited to just nine catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns last season because of a core muscle injury that eventually required surgery. He’s now 33, and he may not be the explosive big-play threat he once was given his age and injury history.
The Eagles probably would move on from Jackson if they could get out from the remainder of his guaranteed money and possibly recoup his bonus, but they wouldn’t be able to do so without a fight from the NFL Players Association. It would probably be difficult to void an NFL player’s contract over an opinion he shared on social media.
Jackson shared a passage on Instagram that included a quote that was incorrectly attributed to Adolf Hitler. The quote accuses Jewish people of blackmailing and extorting America as a plan for world domination. When Jackson was informed that he was promoting anti-Semitism, he doubled down by highlighting a specific portion that he believed proved the point he was trying to make about racism.
On Tuesday, the Eagles issued a statement calling the messages Jackson shared “absolutely appalling.” Jackson then released a video apology.
