What We Know So Far About DeSean Jackson

Sept. 23, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid talks with quarterback Michael Vick (7) and wide receiver DeSean Jackson (10) on the field during the game against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Eagles 27 – 6. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

What has been a relatively quite off season for the Chiefs today got a lot louder today with the release of DeSean Jackson by the Philadelphia Eagles. To help clean things up a little bit, here is what we know about Jackson as of this writing and where it could possible go from here.

Terez A. Paylor reported last week the Chiefs were out of the trade bidding for Jackson, but would be interested in signing him if the Eagles were to release him.

Things changed this afternoon when a story came out from NJ.com which associated Jackson with a gang in Los Angeles. The Eagles needed only 35 minutes after the story broke to tweet out they had released Jackson, which made him a free agent.

We’ve known of Andy Reid’s connection to Jackson and that the two got along, but we didn’t know how the gang allegations would effect if the Chiefs would pursue Jackson.

A few hours after Jackson’s release, 610 Sports reported the Chiefs had made contact with Jackson’s agent and expressed interest. This got the ball rolling that the Chiefs may make a run for Jackson.

Question arose about whether or not the Chiefs could afford to sign Jackson given their small salary cap space for 2014. Using Dwayne Bowe as a guide, we pointed out the salary cap is a fungible thing that can be manipulated to fit in a player like Jackson if the Chiefs were creative.

Things took another big step forward when ESPN’s John Clayton went on 610 AM’s “The Drive” and said he’d put money on either the New York Jets or Chiefs signing Jackson. Clayton noted the influence of Reid and how the Chiefs may be more willing than other teams to give Jackson a long-term deal. Shortly after the interview, Yahoo! reported the Chiefs, Jets, and Oakland Raiders were the early players for Jackson.

It is unlikely anything major will be done soon in terms of visits or signings, but unlikely Jackson will be on the market for long. The perception seems to be the Chiefs need to move quickly if they want to land Jackson.

There are several other teams interested in Jackson, according to reports, so speed may be key for the Chiefs in this instance. It should be noted Jackson mentioned Andy Reid in his statement after being released by the Eagles, so the Chiefs may use the connection to try and get ahead of the game with him. It should also be noted offensive coordinator Doug Pederson and assistant coach/wide receivers coach David Culley worked with Jackson in Philadelphia, too.

And that’s what we know so far.