DeSean Jackson Says He Was Trying To Campaign For Jalen Hurts Over Carson Wentz Years Ago

Towards the end of the Philadelphia Eagles' Carson Wentz era, a lot of people started to realize that he simply wasn't the guy for the job. According to him, that included recently retired DeSean Jackson who said that he was campaigning for Jalen Hurts to take over while he was still with the Birds.

Jackson — a solid wideout with a habit of dropping the ball before crossing the goal line — retired this week. He made his retirement announcement at the Eagles practice facility. That makes a ton of sense, considering he spent two stints with the Birds from 2008 to 2013 and again from 2019 to 2020.

During the announcement, he talked about how he knew Jalen Hurts could be a top-flight QB during his rookie season in 2020. He said he even tried to convince GM Howie Roseman that Hurts was the guy over then-starter Wentz.

“I was lobbying for Jalen Hurts back when we had Carson Wentz at that time," Jackson said, per Pro Football Talk. "When everyone was like, ‘Why would we take Jalen Hurts in the second round?’

Well, Hurts quickly showed everyone why the Eagles did that.

DeSean Jackson Said He Told Roseman That Hurts Would Be 'Special'

"I remember we were at practice and Jalen, he was the backup behind Wentz, we were sitting back, me, Howie, I think Alshon Jeffery, and Jalen was going versus the starting defense," Jackson said. "He’s making crazy plays, and I looked back at Howie and said, 'Howie, I told you, that kid’s going to be special, man.'"

Well, it sure sounds like Jackson was on to something with that observation.

Jackson said that his positive perception of Hurts grew when the two trained together one offseason in Tampa.

"The game was never too big, his persona, his demeanor, he’s walking around, flipping the ball, I’m like, there’s something special about him," Jackson said. "The game is not too big for him. I definitely saw Jalen Hurts before what the world sees now. . . . He’s going to have some special moments in Philadelphia. As you can see, he’s QB No. 1 for a reason.”

Well, the team listened to Jackson eventually — that or the choice became exceedingly obvious — and they handed the keys over to Hurts, who led them to an appearance in Super Bowl LVII last season.

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