That 2010 ’Miracle at the New Meadowlands,’ where DeSean Jackson snatched victory from the Giants as the clock hit zero, wasn’t just a play. It was pure, unadulterated Eagles magic. Jackson was that magic for six electric seasons – 379 grabs, 6,512 yds, 35 TDs, 4 punt return scores, and an NFL-record 26 career TDs of 60+ yds. That magic, however, they unceremoniously benched him in 2014. Cut loose by Chip Kelly after a career-best 2013 season (82 rec, 1,332 yds, 9 TDs), amidst whispers Jackson labeled a ‘smear campaign,’ the divorce was messy. Brutal. And for DJax, rooted in a belief as old as the league itself: karma waits in the flat.
Fast forward to 2025. Jackson, now crafting his coaching legacy at Delaware State, watches the NFL landscape. When Kay Adams asked him about thriving advice for Boise State RB phenom Ashton Jeanty (that ’24 season: 2,601 rush yds, 29 TDs – 2nd most in FBS history ever), Jackson’s answer quickly detoured into a familiar, painful Philly intersection. The target? Kelly’s reported desire to tweak Jeanty’s running stance. Jackson’s verdict? A harsh echo of 2013.
The ghost of Kelly’s past
“He gotta do better, man,” Jackson began, the casual tone belying the sting of memory. “At the end of the day, how ugly this time… I don’t wanna say his name because I don’t like giving him light.” The shadow of Kelly, now OC for the Raiders, loomed large. “For his stance, I just feel like as a coach, you have to do better because… this guy has been proven. He was literally one of the best running backs in college football. He’s had the production.” Jackson’s disbelief was palpable.
Jeanty wasn’t some late-round project. He was a Doak Walker winner, Maxwell Award recipient, Heisman finalist – a certified first-round talent who just put up Madden-on-Rookie numbers. “I mean, he still runs crazy. He still is leading the league… leading college football in yards. You know what I’m saying?” Jackson argued, his point as clear as a wide-open deep post. “To come in the NFL and try to change the stance up, I’m just not a fan of it.” It’s a critique dripping with the residue of his own Eagles exile.
Jackson vividly remembers the dismantling of what he called a “brotherhood” – McCoy, Maclin, Cole, Herremans, Boykin – scattered to the winds by Kelly’s decisions. “When you ruin a team like that, you do things to peoples’ families, you release people, you trade people, you get rid of good players who build something with the community… I just believe in karma,”
Jackson had told The MMQB back when Kelly was fired in 2015 after a dismal 6-9 campaign. That firing? Pure karmic justice, in Jackson’s playbook. Kelly’s tenure (26-21 overall) started hot with an NFC East crown but fizzled amid controversial roster overhauls (trading Shady McCoy for Kiko Alonso? ’Oof’).
“Don’t fix what flew”: Jackson’s unfiltered playbook for protecting raw talent
His advice for Jeanty, then, felt like a manifesto forged in the fires of his own experience: “Oh, my gosh. Be yourself. Continue to go out there and produce. Have fun. At the end of the day, don’t get too caught up.” Why fix what isn’t broken? “At the end, you’re in the NFL. I draft a guy to go to the NFL,” Jackson stated, his voice firm.
“I’m not drafting you to come teach you how to play running back. I’m not drafting you to change your position. I drafted you for a reason because you’ve been proven, and you showed what you can do.” Let the play speak. Like Jackson’s own 17.4 yards per catch – the highest average over the last 35 years. You don’t achieve that by over-coaching instinct; you unleash it.
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Jackson acknowledged the stance critique might hold water… eventually. “Now if he goes into the NFL and doesn’t have the success because of his stance, then maybe we can critique that and talk about it.” But preemptively? Before a single pro carry? That reeked of the kind of unnecessary meddling Jackson endured. “I think you’re just picking on something that don’t really gotta be pickled right now.” It’s more than just advice for Jeanty.
It’s Jackson’s philosophy, honed over 15 seasons (641 rec, 11,263 yds, 58 TDs) and solidified by that painful Philly exit. Moreover, it’s a belief in the electric authenticity of a player like Jeanty – or his own younger, game-breaking self. Changing a proven runner’s stance before he takes a snap?
To Jackson, it feels less like coaching and more like doubting the very talent you just invested a top pick in. And doubting explosive talent? That’s a fumble Kelly knows all too well. Some lessons, etched in the turf of Lincoln Financial Field and the memory of a walk-off miracle, are simply too stark to forget.
The post Forced to Leave Eagles, Desean Jackson Delivers Harsh Verdict on Ex-Philly Head Coach Over Current Plans appeared first on EssentiallySports.
