DeSean Jackson's Immaturity Never Ends for the Philadelphia Eagles

Does anyone hear that sound? 

No, it’s not DeSean Jackson’s alarm clock buzzing.  That’s been going off since Saturday morning. 

The reverberation in question is Jackson once again putting himself before the Eagles.

The 24-year-old wide receiver/return specialist played no factor in Philadelphia’s 21-17 loss to Arizona on Sunday.  The team benched Jackson for missing a mandatory special teams meeting on Saturday.  While Jackson’s absence was never fully explained, his lack of attendance speaks volumes.  

After the Cardinals downed the Eagles, the standings have the team at 3-6 and tied for last place in the NFC East. 

The “Dream Team” has been anything but that.  Every loss is a nail in their playoff coffin, and it’s obvious DeSean Jackson doesn’t care. 

Apparently, the season teetering on the edge of destruction isn’t that big of a deal to him. 

Meetings?  Not the game, but meetings?

At first glance, missing a special teams’ meeting doesn’t seem like the end of the world.  Players miss meetings and they get fined.  Everyone moves on and we all sing "Kumbaya."

However, it’s just the latest example of Jackson wanting to do it “his way.”

Mr. Jackson, you, sir, are no Frank Sinatra.

Another brash, but talented, man named Deion Sanders told us, “It must be the money.”   It appears that the same notion applies to Jackson. 

After whining about his contract during the 2010 training camp, this year he reinforced his selfishness.  After holding out of camp for 12 days, Jackson reluctantly reported upon finding out he might lose a year of service time. 

The Eagles called his bluff, and he was forced to fold.  Still, he wasn’t done.

“Oversleeping” was Jackson’s way of telling the Eagles he thinks he’s worth more than $600,000 a year. 

In reality, he probably is underpaid compared to other wide receivers of his capability, and yet to make matters interesting, this might be his worst season since his rookie year.  With no statistics to add on in Week 10, Jackson is ranked 57th in the league for wide receiver receptions.

Furthermore, hitting the snooze button on a mandated meeting will in no way endear you for a contract extension.

Blessed with a winnable opportunity this Sunday, the Eagles blew a second-half lead and once again fell on their over-hyped faces.  While Jackson might not have made a difference, his teammates took issue with his absence. 

Defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins told The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Team consists of 53 guys.  We didn’t have 53 guys today.  I’ll leave that situation to Coach Reid.  I’m not aware of the details.  I just know we were a guy short.” 

The comment could be construed in several ways, but the central point remains: DeSean Jackson was not in pads for Philadelphia, and he brought the situation upon himself.

Appearing as if their playoff hopes are virtually over, the Eagles can go through the motions and come to grips with a lost season for the next month and a half. 

Concurrently, Jackson can try to salvage his own season, especially with a new contract looming.  His first step in that uphill battle was apologizing to Eagles organization.  The second step is regaining their trust.  Jackson said he is “working hard to contribute to what he needs to do.”

Wake me up when that happens.