DeSean Jackson Asking for Trouble in Philadelphia

When the ship was sinking in Philadelphia last season DeSean Jackson was able to throw a season ong temper tantrum and get away with it. With all the other things going wrong and the week to week speculation that long time coach Andy Reid was going to be fired any day now he was barely a blip on the controversy radar.

No, instead he was just another troublesome young football player wit an overblown sense of self worth--nothing unusual in the NFL. Fast forward to the 2013 off-season and the team has its business together with a new head coach, arguably the hottest coach in college football in Chip Kelly.

Now if only the team's No.1 wide receiver could get his head out of his proverbial behind.

 Matthew Straubmuller/Flickr

First there is the quarterback controversy with the Eagles that he has almost created on his own. According to Jackson the entire team wants Chip Kelly to pick a starting quarterback before training camp starts. 

This statement just smacks of the ignorance of youth. You would think that after he was demoted during OTAs that he would have gotten the picture from Kelly--just go to work and do your job to the best of your ability. That would have been too easy though. 

Instead Jackson has to make two colossal errors that will not endear him to the team at all. First, he's trying to force the new head coaches hand by talking to the media about what should be an internal issue only. Second, he assumes that he is talking for the entire team.

Never, never, never try to force coach into anything. That's something they teach you in peewee league DeSean! 

Whenever you try to talk for the whole team you better be sure you actually are. DeSean of course was not. A lot of guys may not like a youngster trying to speak for them--especially when he is wrong.

So you now have an incredibly talented, but problematic wide receiver that talks too much--not the end of the road just yet. Tack on his apparent disregard for his health and well being as the season approaches and you get awful close. 

Jackson, who also fashions himself a rising talent in rap music, isn't too concerned with playing it safe and insuring that he goes into camp healthy. He makes that much clear by jumping off the second floor into a pool.

I will concede that it wasn't a very big leap, but I can't imagine the Eagles are happy with their No. 1 wide receiver taking such an unnecessary risk. Yes, this is the only time these guys really have off before a long season, but the team counts on him and has invested millions in him.

Have fun, but be smart.