DeSean Jackson says he will be on the field Sunday, injury or not.
The Washington Redskins receiver said he would never miss a matchup against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson sprained his left shoulder against Jacksonville and is officially listed as day-to-day.
Jackson was kept out of practice on Wednesday, but said he is willing to play through the pain .
“I don’t think an AC joint is jeopardizing my career in the long haul,” Jackson said. “If it’s all on me, I’m playing. I don’t plan on missing this game.”
Jackson and the Eagles parted on difficult terms this offseason, with allegations that the playmaking wide receiver had, and still maintains, gang ties.
“It was a curious move, yes. No question about it,” said Redskins coach Jay Gruden of Jackson’s release from the Eagles. “When you have someone who has that kind of production on a football team, to just let him go seems a little odd. But people have their reasons. We have no idea why coach [Chip] Kelly and the Eagles organization did it. We just have to move forward with our decision to go after him and target a guy with that kind of speed and production. Talking to him and talking to his agent, we felt very comfortable about bringing him into our organization despite some of the reports that were out there.”
DeSean Jackson says that is all behind him now.
“That’s their decision. They moved on. I moved on,” Jackson said. “I’m blessed to have a second opportunity to play here in Washington. It’s not about them anymore… Since day one, since I stepped in here with this organization, I was just myself. I didn’t really change. They accepted me for who I was. I didn’t really have to prove anything to them because they knew what type of player and person I was.”
The Washington Redskins have not given an official injury prognosis for DeSean Jackson, but he is expected to be a game-time decision.
