Sometimes, certain things are too good to be true. The idea of DeSean Jackson joining an offense that featured an aggressive-minded quarterback like Matthew Stafford seemed to be a match made in heaven.
Contrary to that thought, Jackson never took off in the offense, prompting him to question his role in L.A. He and the Rams mutually agreed to seek a trade partner, but after no suitors emerged, the team waived him.
Following Jackson’s release from the Rams, Stafford shared his disappointment in not being able to make things work with the speedy wideout.
“It’s disappointing that it didn’t work out. I’ve got a ton of respect for DeSean and how talented he is as a player. I reached out to him afterwards and just said, ‘Man, it was fun playing with one of the all-time great deep threats.’ Being able to connect with him on a long one against Tampa was cool,” Stafford said. “It didn’t work out for whatever reason and I just know that I trust our front office and our coaching staff to put us in the best position to try to succeed. That’s what they’re always trying to do is figure out what’s best for this team. And that’s what they felt was best and we move on. We go from there. We’ve got a great group of guys. I’m ready to play and excited about what’s coming next.”
When Jackson signed with the Rams in free agency, it was assumed that he’d become a valuable vertical threat in the passing attack. However, the emergence of Van Jefferson, along with the presence of Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, prevented Jackson from excelling in Los Angeles.
In seven games with the Rams, Jackson never saw more than 32% of the offensive snaps in a single game, with one of his lone highlights being a 75-yard touchdown reception from Stafford in Week 3 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He would also haul in a 68-yard pass from Stafford in Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Stafford is going to be just fine moving forward following the release of Jackson, especially since he still has a trio of wideouts that includes Kupp, Woods, and Jefferson. That being said, it’s apparent Stafford was hopeful Jackson would end up being a reliable deep threat in his first season in Los Angeles.
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