Forty minutes after it was reported the Eagles were concerned about DeSean Jackson’s gang ties, he was no longer a member of the team.
That timing last Friday has the NFLPA concerned, and the union says it is investigating whether the Eagles conducted a smear campaign against Jackson, leaking the information before releasing the controversial receiver.
“We’ve been in touch with DeSean, and first and foremost he is a tremendous football player and great young man,” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said on “Mike & Mike” on Friday morning, according to Pro Football Talk.
“On the issue of how he was released, whether or not there were comments or leaks from the team, misinformation to the media coming from the team, that’s something that we’re going to look at. We’ve always been aggressive about protecting the integrity of our players.”
Even before the publication of the NJ.com report, which questioned Jackson’s connection to the LA-based Crips, Philadelphia was actively trying to trade Jackson without much luck. He did not stay a free agent for long — the rival Redskins signed him to a three-year, $24 million deal on Tuesday.
Jackson denied he was a part of gang activity in a statement immediately following his release, but did not wish to discuss the matter further on the conference call announcing his deal with the Redskins.
Smith likened Jackson’s release to Josh Freeman’s last year. In the weeks before the Buccaneers let go of the young quarterback, reports surfaced stating Freeman was in the league’s substance abuse program. Freeman would sign with the Vikings.
“We went into a deep investigation that’s continuing about Josh Freeman, and the comments that we believe came from team management or the coaches, and that’s an investigation that’s ongoing and we’re going to aggressively pursue it,” Smith said. “If we believe that someone at the team did something impermissible, we’re going to be seeking significant discipline against those individuals. We look at that situation as similar to this one.”