Eagles penalize DeSean Jackson for conduct detrimental to the team
PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles penalized DeSean Jacksonon Friday for conduct detrimental to the team, they said in a statement. Jackson has been fined, a source said.
"This has been a difficult and emotional week for our community and organization," the team said in the statement. "The Philadelphia Eagles do not tolerate hate towards any individual or group. We believe in respect and equality for all races, ethnicities, and faiths. We as an organization want to help be an instrument for positive change. This can only occur through strong, deliberate actions and a commitment to learn and grow.
"We have had a number of constructive conversations over the last few days, not only with DeSean Jackson, but also with many other players, members of the organization, and leaders in the community. That has led us to the point where we and he are ready to take the next steps."
"Today we have penalized DeSean for conduct detrimental to the team," the statement read. "He accepted these consequences and apologized. In our many conversations with him, it has also been made clear that this is only the beginning. We have discussed a concrete plan for how we and he can heal moving forward. He understands that in order to remain on the team, he must also commit to supporting his words with actions. We have been encouraged by his desire to educate himself, but we all understand that there is still a lot of work to be done. We will continue to assist DeSean in this process, and we also know that all of us in our organization need to listen and learn more about things that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable to us.
"We must continue to fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination, while not losing sight of the important battle against systemic racism."
In addition to paying the fine, Jackson intends to donate a significant amount to Jewish community efforts, a source said
The discipline caps a week of condemnation for his social media posts, which included an anti-Semitic message that he attributed to Adolf Hitler.
Jackson spoke with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman -- both of whom are Jewish -- on Tuesday, a source said, with Lurie expressing deep disappointment in Jackson's posts.
Shortly after their phone call on Tuesday, Jackson and his representation reached out to a rabbi at Chabad Young Philly to discuss ways for Jackson to donate to and work with the organization.
On Friday, he met with Holocaust survivor Edward Mosberg. Jackson also met with a group fighting against anti-Semitism, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, who is Jewish, has invited Jackson to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. On Friday, Edelman posted that he and Jackson had spoken.
"I don't want to distract from how important the Black Lives Matter movement is, and how we need to stay behind it," Edelman said in a separate video post. "I think the Black and Jewish communities have a lot of similarities."
