DeSean Jackson Waived by Rams After Team Fails to Find Trade Ahead of Deadline

The Los Angeles Rams waived wide receiver DeSean Jackson after failing to move the veteran ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline.

Jackson took to Instagram to issue a farewell message:

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN previously reported Jackson was expected to be released after the deadline had passed.

The move comes after NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Friday that Jackson and the Rams mutually agreed to pursue any trade possibilities.

Head coach Sean McVay confirmed the 34-year-old was looking for an exit.

"I think what it boils down to is opportunities that I think he's deserving of and the situation and some of the circumstances that surround him," he told reporters.

With Tuesday's deadline now gone, releasing Jackson was the only option if both sides wanted to move on.

Signing a one-year deal with the Rams in March made sense for Jackson. He played under McVay with the Washington Football Team, and the Long Beach, California, native was returning home.

The former California Golden Bears star, who averaged 17.4 yards per reception through his first 13 years, seemed to bring a different dimension to the Rams passing game as well. Nobody averaged more than 13.3 yards per catch for the team in 2020. 

However, this trade is emblematic of how things haven't gone according to plan.

Through seven games, Jackson has been targeted just 15 times, catching eight passes for 221 yards and one touchdown. In Los Angeles' 28-19 win over the Detroit Lions, he went without a reception and played four offensive snaps.

Van Jefferson (24 receptions, 392 yards, three touchdowns) has emerged as a dynamic downfield threat and a steady option behind Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. That pushed Jackson further down the pecking order and made it difficult to envision his role in the offense growing as the season went on.

Given his age, the three-time Pro Bowler is no longer the regular big-play threat he was during his prime years with the Philadelphia Eagles and WFT. But his 75-yard touchdown catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed he can pose a threat down the field.

Jackson will also be motivated to prove a point about his usage with the Rams. Assuming there's interest, another team might be banking on him carrying a chip on his shoulder the rest of the way.