3 Eagles who likely won’t be back in 2021

The Eagles’ Week 16 loss to the Cowboys mercifully knocked them out of the postseason picture. It also means these three stars won’t return in 2021. 

Fans in Philadelphia should expect big offseason changes. The Eagles’ failure to win the weakest division in the NFL isn’t going to sit well with the team’s front office. Doug Pederson may survive as the team’s head coach, but he’ll be presiding over a much different roster in 2021.

The appropriate question isn’t whether or not big changes will be made. Instead, it’s working to predict which big names will be on their way out of town. There are several high-priced veterans who didn’t justify their salary-cap figures in 2020. The following three players should already be planning on donning new uniforms in 2021.

3. DeSean Jackson

Jackson flashed against the Cowboys with a long touchdown catch, but that doesn’t obscure the reality that his 2020 regular season has been largely anonymous. Injuries have limited the veteran wideout to just 5 games heading into his team’s finale. His absence has played a big part in Philadelphia’s struggles to forge a consistent aerial attack.

Paying the 34-year-old over $10 million next season would be a foolish financial decision for the franchise. It’s almost a certainty that the Eagles will exercise the out in his contract that allows them to move on from Jackson while only taking on $5.8 million in dead cap money.

Jackson may have another bounce-back season left in his legs, but the Eagles need to emphatically turn the page on offense. A big part of that formula will be engaging in a total reconstruction of the team’s wide receiving corps. It’s time for Philadelphia to build around Jalen Reagor and Greg Ward. That’s going to force Jackson to find a new home via free agency this offseason. He’ll have plenty of potential suitors, but no one is going to pay him the kind of money he would earn if the Eagles kept him on for another season.