Why Andy Reid Made the Right Decision in Deactivating DeSean Jackson

Being a head coach in the NFL is a delicate balancing act.  A 53-man roster contains players from across the entire spectrum of fame and fortune, from Pro Bowlers to guy making minimum salaries. 

To maintain a healthy and productive locker room, a coach must be sure to give no obvious preference to any one player, regardless of that player’s profile.

That’s why Andy Reid made the right decision in deactivating DeSean Jackson for their game against the Arizona Cardinals today.

It has been widely reported that the catalyst for this benching was Jackson missing a team meeting this week.  If that is the case, Reid absolutely made to right call to discipline Jackson in this manner.

The Philadelphia Eagles made a lot of noise this offseason, bringing in several high-profile free agents to add to their already star-laden roster.  The early results, however, have not lived up to the hype.  The Eagles have struggled to a 3-5 start, which has them tied with Washington in the NFC East basement.

With frustration undoubtedly beginning to mount in the Philadelphia locker room, this is no time for any of the big name guys to start letting their discipline slip. 

By deactivating DeSean Jackson today, Andy Reid has sent a message to the entire locker room that no one is bigger than the team, and that everyone, regardless of their celebrity, will be held accountable to the same standards.

This message will hopefully resonate on two fronts in the locker room.  On one hand, it will keep some of the other big name guys on track, knowing that no one is above the law in the Philadelphia locker room.

On the other hand, it will keep the guy making minimum salaries, guys many NFL fans have never heard of, playing hard everyday in pursuit of team goals.  Reid’s decision made it clear to them as well that there would be no double standards in his locker room.

Perhaps the final, slightly cynical reason that Reid made the right move here is because he took the opportunity to send this message on a day when the Eagles likely won’t need Jackson’s skills to get a win against Arizona.  In other words, Andy Reid gets to send this message on the cheap.  Would he do the same thing against the Giants? Maybe, maybe not.

Andy Reid did the right thing by disciplining DeSean Jackson today.  He set the tone in a locker room full of star players, and he set the tone on a day when it probably won’t cost his team.