Signing with the Los Angeles Rams was seemingly a no-brainer for wide receiver DeSean Jackson. They emerged as a Super Bowl favorite this offseason following the acquisition of quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The prospect of having his career come full circle by returning to his native L.A. with a contender was simply too good to pass up for Jackson.
While the moves put the rest of the league on notice, championship expectations are nothing new for the Rams. It did not take long for Jackson to realize that this was not something that was forged overnight.
The veteran speedster has seen it all during his 13 years in the NFL. Jackson quickly noticed the feeling of a common purpose in this locker room, via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website:
“I’ve been on teams where certain individuals had contract issues or personal issues, or had a situation with a GM or a player, (but) when you come here, you don’t feel none of that,” Jackson said. “You feel like everyone’s on the same page, everybody has one common goal, and all the personal stuff, outside of the football world, none of that stuff matters. When you come here, we’re worried about football, we’re having fun, we’re going to get the most out of it and guys are fired up about coming into this building.”
Jackson’s comments are indicative of the team culture head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead have strived to build in recent years. It seems to be a subtle reminder for new faces that may not be accustomed to such an atmosphere with their previous teams.
Of course, Jackson’s close relationship with McVay was part of the allure in him signing with the Rams in free agency. He already enjoyed plenty of success under his tutelage with two 1,000-yard receiving campaigns when the pair were still with the Washington Football Team.
Jackson has made no secret about his role as the new deep threat for Stafford in the passing game. His career average of 17.4 yards per reception shows that both sides have good reason to be optimistic about a resurgence on this side of the ball.
It is safe to say that Jackson is all in on what has been built in L.A. and is looking forward to playing an integral part in making their championship hopes come to fruition. After all, winning a Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium this season would make for a storybook ending to a stellar career.
