The Los Angeles Rams added a boost to their receiving corps with the signing of wide receiver DeSean Jackson in free agency.
Although the move made plenty of sense for both sides, it is easy to see why Jackson is anxious to be joining his new team. Not only is the veteran speedster looking to end his career in pursuit of a championship, but he will also have an opportunity to do it in his native Los Angeles where it all began.
Jackson’s skill set as a bonafide deep threat when healthy makes him an ideal fit for this new-look offense. Of course, it was the perks both on and off the field that made this an easy decision for him.
Jackson is all too familiar with the area having played football in Inglewood growing up where SoFi Stadium is now located. He feels this was the perfect landing spot for him to cap off his career, via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website:
“I was just talking to my cousin, basically saying, like, this is the perfect time for me to come back to L.A.,” Jackson said during his introductory video conference Friday morning. “Because if it would have been when I was younger or even like, five, six years ago, I just was at a different point in my life where it probably wouldn’t have been the best thing. But now where I’m at, 34 years old, going on my 14th season, just where I’m at as a family man. I’m very focused on my kids, my family, it’s just, I’m not at that young stage anymore where I’m worried about hanging out and going to clubs or partying. I’m just at a different space in my life. So, right now is the perfect fit and it’s the perfect time. It couldn’t have been any other time.”
Jackson admits there is a sense of nostalgia brewing in his return to L.A.:
“I used to play at Darby Park as a little kid,” Jackson said. “So being there in the stadium, man, and just kind of walking on the grass and just really feeling that atmosphere, it was something intriguing about that just because, that’s like a rich blood. It’s just like, I’ve been there when I was a kid, on these fields competing at a young age and that it turned out for me to be this professional athlete that’s been making it in the NFL for a long time and doing some great things.”
Jackson’s comments are certainly understandable considering there are not many players that have the opportunity to finish their career where it first started. Now that his football-playing days have come full circle, he is hoping to end it on a high note by securing that elusive ring.
Head coach Sean McVay made it clear that he is hoping to see more explosive e plays on offense in the 2021 NFL season. Fortunately, there is good reason to be optimistic given his track record with Jackson.
The speedster enjoyed some of the most productive years of his career as part of McVay’s offense during their days with the Washington Football Team. They will be looking to replicate their success in an effort to kick things up a notch on offense.
