DeSean Jackson Announces NFL Retirement After 15-Year Career with Eagles, More

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The Philadelphia Eagles announced Wednesday that wide receiver DeSean Jackson is retiring from the NFL.

Jackson, who will turn 37 on Friday, spent 15 years as an NFL wideout and enjoyed his greatest success in eight seasons as a member of the Eagles.

Per Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia, the Eagles announced that Jackson will retire as an Eagle on Friday, and he will serve as the team’s honorary captain Sunday when Philly hosts the San Francisco 49ers.

Jackson was originally selected by Philadelphia in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft out of Cal, and it didn’t take him long to establish himself as one of the most dynamic players in the league.

After registering 912 receiving yards as a rookie, Jackson had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2009 and 2010, and he was named a Pro Bowler in each of those two seasons.

His third and final Pro Bowl nod came in his career year of 2013 when he set personal bests across the board with 82 catches for 1,332 yards and nine scores.

Jackson spent the next three seasons in Washington and then two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before returning to play for the Eagles in 2019 and 2020.

The speedster closed out his career by playing for both the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, followed by appearing in seven games for the Baltimore Ravens last season.

All told, Jackson appeared in 183 career regular-season games, making 641 receptions for 11,263 yards and 58 touchdowns, plus he rushed for four touchdowns and had four punt return touchdowns.

He retires as one of the most productive wide receivers in Eagles history, ranking sixth in catches (379), third in receiving yardage (6,512) and ninth in receiving touchdowns (35).

Jackson will be present Sunday for arguably the Eagles’ biggest game of the season, as they take on the 49ers in a NFC Championship Game rematch from last season and a potential NFC Championship Game preview for this season.