Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson has ended his holdout. After 11 days, 10 is back.
Hold outs aren’t what they used to be (although, Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson’s holdout could come close). Guys used to holdout well into the season. Bo Jackson once held out an entire season. But, it’s a new day. Now, the NFL collective bargaining agreement doesn’t bode well for a guy who wants to hold out. Jackson was holding out for a new (well deserved) contract, but the consequences were possible fines of $30,000 per absent day from camp and damage to his free agency eligibility for the 2012 season.
According to DeSean, though, he wants to be an Eagle and surely the Eagle’s want DeSean on their team. In a press conference held Monday at Eagles camp, this is what he had to say….
Being an Eagle this year is gonna be something I look forward to. You know, I always wanted to be a Eagle. Because I held out a couple of days or whatever it was, that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to be a Eagle. Like I said, I just had to handle what I needed to handle. But I’m here and I’m ready to move forward, and I’m ready to play football, and I’m ready to help win games.
At the end of the day I had to be a professional about it. I can’t cry, I can’t, you know, moan about it. So, I’m being a man about the situation more than anything, and the only thing I can really control is playing inside the white lines. I can’t control contracts, I can’t control anything else and realizing that I just really wanna go out there and let my play talk for itself.
I really don’t have to do any other talking, me sitting out, and me holding out, I mean, that’s the past and like I say, its kinda over and done with and now I’m presenting myself, I’m here, and I’m just ready to move forward, and you know, like I said, hopefully everything will work out in a positive way.
Watch DeSean Jackson’s press conference.
It’s a good thing that Jackson is in camp. He and Michael Vick now have plenty of time to warm things up. The Philadelphia Eagles open their season on the road against the St. Louis Rams.
