Philadelphia Eagles place franchise tag on DeSean Jackson, hoping to give an extended contract later
Philadelphia Eagles have finally resolved the issue surrounding wide receiver, DeSean Jackson’s stay at the franchise by placing a franchise tag on the player on Thursday, March 1, 2012.
Jackson, whose four-year rookie contract ended this year, was set to become free agent this month.
Eagles could have let him go or given him a contract extension, but the management selected the third option and put a franchise tag on him, hoping to sign an extended contract later.
If Jackson also agrees to sing under the tag, he will stay with the Eagles for at least one more year in which he will receive a salary of $9.4 million.
Both the parties could later negotiate terms for a new deal, which will ensure Jackson’s long stay at Eagles.
Earlier, Jackson’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, had also said that the ultimate goal for Eagles and Jackson would be to sign a deal ensuring a long association between the two.
Now after the placement of the franchise tag, both Jackson and Eagles have reiterated to establish a long-term relation and by the looks of the things, all the stakeholders seem satisfied with this decision.
While praising Jackson, Eagles’ general manager, Howie Roseman, said:
"We want DeSean to be an Eagle for the long haul and this is a step in the right direction to accomplish that. DeSean is a talented player and a proven playmaker in this league and we look forward to him continuing his career in Philadelphia. It's our understanding
that he has the same desire. We will continue our efforts on getting a long-term deal done with him."
Jackson himself was pleased after receiving the deal. He had earlier stated that he wanted to stay with the franchise for a long time and this development is apparently the right step in pursuing that goal.
He said after receiving the tag:
"I am honoured that the Philadelphia Eagles organisation perceives me as a franchise player. I look forward to getting a long-term deal done soon and being an Eagle for many years to come.”
Jackson was not up to the mark in the last National Football League (NFL) season and had admitted that the expiring contract was distracting him.
Now after receiving the tag and a positive nod from the management regarding a long term stay, he should focus on bringing consistency in his performance.
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