Carson Wentz’s leadership could define the DeSean Jackson situation

The Philadelphia Eagles need Carson Wentz now more than ever.

It’s hard to contextualize just how well the 2020 NFL offseason was going for Philadelphia Eagles franchise quarterback Carson Wentz.

Sure, he was once again paired up with a controversial backup quarterback, this time second-round pick and Heisman finalist Jalen Hurts, but in the months succeeding the Birds’ Wild Card Round exit against the Seattle Seahawks, Wentz became a father, picked up a slew of new offensive weapons to throw to, and even discovered a newfound ‘wokeness’ that’s made him increasingly popular with fans and teammates alike.

But as these things so often go, Wentz’s newfound leadership was almost immediately tested by a situation nearly unimaginable not one day prior.

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As you (probably) already know, DeSean Jackson derailed the NFL hype train in its tracks with the woefully unfortunate curation of a book passage featuring an offensive quote falsely attributed to Adolf Hitler (read more about the situation here). While this situation has drawn an insane amount of coverage, multiple apologies from Jackson, and some very poorly received ‘justifications’ from everyone from Stephen Jackson to Malcolm Jenkins, the situation isn’t without parallel in recent Eagles history and could present the team’s current franchise quarterback with a sink or swim situation heading into the 2020 NFL season.

Let’s take a trip back to an era of Philadelphia Eagles’ history many can’t forget soon enough.

When Riley Cooper made his now-infamous comments too vulgar to repeat at a Kenny Chesney concert back 2013, his future with the Eagles was immediately cast into doubt.

A former fifth-round pick out of Florida, Cooper was a marginal part of the Eagles’ offense over his first three years with the team and was projected to fill a backup role behind DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Traditionally speaking, the average NFL career length is only 3.3 years, so had the Birds simply cut bait on Cooper right then and there no one would have faulted them.

However, Michael Vick wasn’t going to let that happen.

One day after Cooper’s comments came to light, Vick made himself available to the media and gave an impassioned – by his standards – speech about redemption and team unity, ultimately promising to publically forgive his teammate in a move that many feel saved his professional career. From there, the duo combined to have a fantastic 2013 season under rookie head coach Chip Kelly, with Cooper parlaying a 47 catches for 835 yards and eight touchdowns season into a five-year, $25 million contract extension, and Vick, well Vick played really well until he didn’t and was ultimately replaced by Nick Foles for his historic 27-2 campaign.

Granted, a year later, Vick complained that Cooper hadn’t returned any of his texts post-contract extension, but that’s neither here nor there.

Now to be fair, there really isn’t much to compare between Cooper’s and Jackson’s individual situations. One came from a place of drunken hate, the other (hopefully) from a place of misguided ignorance. If Jackson’s initial efforts to – encouraged or not – to meet with survivors of the Holocaust are of any indication, his intentions of actually educating himself and growing as a person are real. Jackson is a smart, Berkley man, and if his efforts are good enough for Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie, who am I to judge?

However, whether Jackson is a changed man or not, his external efforts have very little to do with the locker room. Whether intentional or not, his comments have added an extra level of scrutiny that could very well distract from the team’s ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl, even if he ultimately won’t be suspended for one, two, or four games.

That being said, it also presents Wentz with a unique oppertunity to bring his team together and really become a locker room leader.

As things presently stand, Wentz hasn’t made a public statement on the Jackson situation, the Eagles’ response, or their solution moving forward. While he ultimately may opt to keep things internal, in this writer’s humble opinion, that would be a mistake. Wentz has been a vocal Christian since joining the Eagles in 2016, going so far as to commission a free food truck for his Audience of One charity to support the local community and disperse the word of Jesus. His vocal support for the Jewish community would hold considerable weight in the local community and nationally, and potentially draw more eyes to their plight through conversation segments on First Take, Undisputed, and the like.

Heck, Wentz could even go so far as to join Jackson in his continued education on the subject, joining his top wide receiver in community outreach and Skype calls with Holocaust survivors like 94-year-old Edward Mosberg. Being the face of a franchise is about winning games, selling jerseys, and getting butts in seats but it’s also about being a role model and positive force in the community.

Does Carson Wentz want to be put in this situation? No, I highly doubt he expected the terms ‘Hitler’ and ‘Philadelphia Eagles’ would share so many headlines when the season ended back in January, but as these things so often go, it isn’t about how you got into a situation but how you handle the hand you’ve been dealt. Like Michael Vick before him, Wentz has a chance to bring his team together, fortify his locker room, and make his team stronger going into what should be a really, really weird 2020 NFL season. Hopefully, he makes the most of it and silences any doubts about his status as a franchise quarterback once and for all.