ORLANDO, Fla. — No doubt to the delight of Jets owner Woody Johnson, DeSean Jackson appears to be in play again.
A day after it seemed Jackson would be sticking with the Eagles, Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly did much to cloud the wide receiver’s future during the NFC coaches breakfast.
Kelly repeatedly avoided issuing any guarantees the Eagles would hang on to Jackson, a 1,300-yard receiver last year who league sources say is on the block after falling out of favor for reasons that have yet to be fully explained.
“I like DeSean, and DeSean did a really nice job for us [last season], but we’re always going to do what’s best for the organization,” Kelly told a swarm of reporters during the NFL owners meetings.
That was far less definitive than what Jackson and sources close to Jackson said Tuesday after the wideout finally had a phone conversation with Kelly following weeks of missed connections.
Jackson tweeted his admiration for Kelly on Tuesday, and Philadelphia media outlets reported Jackson was telling teammates Kelly said the Eagles would be keeping him.
But that didn’t match at all the public comments from the Eagles’ second-year coach on Wednesday. Kelly was circumspect and evasive about Jackson’s future while being peppered with questions about it during a one-hour interview session.
One particular comment from Kelly about Jackson’s value to the Philadelphia offense seemed to signal the Eagles’ intent with him.
“I don’t think our offense has ever been predicated on one player,” Kelly said. “We used three quarterbacks last year. We used multiple running backs. Our tight ends are integral to what we do. I think we have an outstanding offensive line. It’s never been about just one guy.”
Kelly’s words no doubt heartened the Jets after Johnson admitted Sunday that Gang Green is looking to acquire Jackson either via a trade or as a free agent in the unlikely event the Eagles cut him.
The biggest sticking point to a trade is Jackson’s contract, which pays him between $8 million and $10.5 million each of the next three seasons. The Jets, however, currently have an estimated $28 million in salary-cap space.