Eagles' DeSean Jackson to end holdout

August 06, 2011|By Jeff McLane, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - With the Eagles steadfast on not renegotiating his contract and the date that he would lose a year toward free agency set in stone, DeSean Jackson has decided to end his holdout.

The Eagles wide receiver will report to training camp at Lehigh University by Monday, a source close to Jackson said Saturday.

Jackson has skipped the first 11 days of camp because, it is believed, he wants a contract extension. He has previously stated that he wants a new deal, although he has yet to publicly confirm his desire for the Eagles to tear up his four-year contract and negotiate another.

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A message left with Jackson's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was not returned Saturday.

The Eagles had no comment.

Jackson's arrival on Monday will boost a receiving group that has also been without starter Jeremy Maclin, who has been sidelined by an unspecified illness. A noticeably thinner Maclin has been in camp since Tuesday but has yet to practice.

Eagles coach Andy Reid hasn't divulged Maclin's illness because he said the 23-year-old's medical tests are still being evaluated. But the uncertainty surrounding Maclin has led to Internet rumors that he is battling some dire, career-threatening disease.

"Those crazy reports aren't true," Maclin said.

Reports that the Eagles have initiated talks with Rosenhaus aren't true either, a team source said. The team typically does not negotiate with holdouts, a stance Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie reiterated on Thursday.

Jackson's planned return was also likely spurred by the completion of the collective bargaining agreement, in which Tuesday was declared the date in which players under contract must report to camp if they don't want to forfeit an accrued season toward becoming free agents.

Jackson is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. Indications are that he and the Eagles hope to agree on an extension that would keep the two-time Pro Bowl receiver in the fold long-term. It remains to be seen if both sides have a similar view of Jackson's worth.

He is slated to earn approximately $600,000 in base salary this season. He's already lost $330,000 if the Eagles decide to fine him $30,000 for each day missed since the start of camp.

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