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- Mar 19, 2019
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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson volunteered to return the punt that ultimately led to another stint on the injured reserve list.
According to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Eagles special teams coach Dave Fipp said Jackson came to him on the sidelines late in the team’s 22-21 victory over the New York Giants last Thursday night to ask for the chance to return the final punt of the game.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for DeSean,” Fipp said on Tuesday. “During that last drive, he had come up to me and said, ‘Hey, man, if they’re punting this ball backed up or if they’re punting this ball, put me back there. I want to go back there and make a play.’”
Jackson was tackled by Corey Ballentine on the punt return without issue but Madre Harper hit Jackson again late as he was beginning to rise from the turf and knocked him over backward with his ankle caught underneath. It left Jackson with a high-ankle sprain that led to his being placed on injured reserve on Monday.
“Just a really unselfish football player trying to do anything he could to help the organization help win a football game,” Fipp said. “He knew it was a spot where the team needed him. He wanted a chance to step up and make a play for the team. So obviously he jumped back in there to take that kick.”
Jackson had missed the team’s prior three games due to a hamstring injury. The move to injured reserve will keep Jackson out for at least another three weeks before he’s eligible to return to the roster.