Rams waive disgruntled receiver Jackson
The Los Angeles Rams have released disgruntled receiver DeSean Jackson after just seven games with his hometown team.
Jackson will be available on the waiver wire today, general manager Les Snead said Tuesday. The Rams spent the past five days trying to find a trade partner for the 14-year NFL veteran, and he didn’t suit up for Los Angeles’ blowout win at Houston.
Jackson, who turns 35 on Dec. 1, asked to leave the Rams last week after making just eight catches for 221 yards and a touchdown in his first seven games with Los Angeles. The Rams signed him to an incentive-weighted, one-year contract with a guaranteed $2.75 million salary last spring to reunite him with Sean McVay, his offensive coordinator in Washington.
“Obviously, it was an experiment we attempted,” Snead said. “Didn’t work out as well as we wanted to, as DeSean wanted it to, as even Sean wanted it to — and especially those two, because they have a relationship that goes deeper than football. Didn’t work out for us.”
The Rams wanted Jackson to be the defense-stretching deep threat they lacked last season, and he filled that role well when he was on the field. But Jackson’s playing time was infrequent, with secondyear pro Van Jefferson taking about three-quarters of the Rams’ offensive snaps alongside Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, who rarely leave the field for Matthew Stafford’s prolific passing offense.
Jackson posted a farewell message on Instagram: “I am very grateful for the time that I spent playing for the LA Rams. Although this isn’t the outcome that we wanted, I am extremely appreciative for the opportunity & support given to me by the Rams Coaches & all of the Fans. I understand that everything happens for a reason & I look forward to beginning the next chapter of my NFL career.”
■ TEXANS: Deshaun Watson’s future destination remains unknown.
The NFL trade deadline passed Tuesday with the Houston Texans keeping the embattled quarterback on their roster. Watson has not played this season amid a trade request and 22 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment or assault. He has not been charged.
The Texans (1-7) had long discussed dealing Watson to the Miami Dolphins but the teams couldn’t agree to the significant compensation, a person familiar with those discussions told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversations are private.
Houston now has an opportunity to involve more teams in the bidding for Watson during the offseason, especially if his legal issues are resolved. The 26-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowl pick who had his best statistical season last year on a 4-12 team. Watson threw for an NFL-best 4,823 yards with 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He led the Texans to consecutive AFC South titles in 2018 and 2019.
Watson signed a four-year, $156 million contract in 2020. He has a no-trade clause but asked the team to move him earlier this year before the sexual misconduct allegations became public.
■ PACKERS: The Green Bay Packers have released Jaylon Smith less than a month after signing the former Dallas Cowboys linebacker.
Smith’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, confirmed Tuesday that the 26-year-old Smith has been released. ESPN first reported the move.
Smith joined the Packers on Oct. 7, one day after the Cowboys released him. Smith had led the Cowboys in tackles in 2019 and 2020, but he never came close to making that kind of impact with Green Bay. He played a total of 27 defensive snaps in two games with the Packers.
■ TITANS: The Tennessee Titans have signed 2012 NFL MVP and four-time All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson to help replace NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry.
The Titans announced Tuesday they signed Peterson to the practice squad. This is the sixth NFL team for Peterson, 36, who had been unsigned since finishing last season with Detroit. Tennessee plans to add him to the active roster with the Titans visiting the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night.
Tennessee also signed running back D’Onta Foreman and two others to the practice squad.
Henry was scheduled for surgery Tuesday for his injured right foot. The Titans placed him on injured reserve Monday.
■ CHIEFS-STEELERS TRADE: The Pittsburgh Steelers traded veteran linebacker Melvin Ingram to Kansas City on Tuesday for a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft.
The teams made the announcement a few hours before the NFL’s trade deadline.
The move gives Kansas City’s struggling defense some much-needed help and gives the 32-year-old Ingram a chance to start over. Ingram signed a one-year contract with the Steelers in July but saw his playing time decrease in recent weeks. He sat out last Sunday’s win over Cleveland with what the team called a groin injury amid reports that Ingram was hoping to be traded elsewhere.
Ingram spent the first nine years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers before joining the Steelers on the eve of training camp.