DeSean Jackson’s future should be determined after season

Last week, new Las Vegas Raiders’ wide receiver DeSean Jackson — who signed with the tea, for the rest of the season after Week 9 — said he would like to play for the team in 2022.

That excited a lot of fans (especially since it came right after he made a big impact in a win over Dallas). However, it may be far from a foregone conclusion that Jackson will be back in the Silver and Black next season.

Here are some reasons why it might be best for the Raiders to make Jackson an offseason decision:

Free agency/draft:

The Raiders will likely try to add at wide receiver in the upcoming offseason. They could be in line for potential big-ticket free agents like Devante Adams of the Green Bay Packers, Allen Robinson of the Chicago Bears and Chris Godwin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They could also draft some receivers early and getting a younger speed wide receiver to replace the missing element that the Henry Ruggs III release created may also be explored. Thus, because Jackson is a role player, a decision on him could come after bigger roles are addressed.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Team leadership questions:

We don’t yet know who the Raiders’ 2022 decision makers are going to be. The futures of general manager Mike Mayock and the current coaching staff will be evaluated by Las Vegas owner Mark Davis after the season. There may be an entire new front office and coaching staff with different thoughts about the offense. So we need to know who is making the decision before most of the decisions are actually made.

Age/production:

Jackson turned 35 last week. It may be difficult to commit to a player at a skill position next season. Also, the team may want to see Jackson’s production the rest of the season. Against Dallas, Jackson had three catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. In the other three games he’s played as a Raider, Jackson has three total touches. Let’s see how he finishes the season.

Conclusion:

This is not meant to be a knock on Jackson. He’s a dangerous player and it’s possible the Raiders could secure him for next year in the coming weeks. But the most likely and logical scenario is to wait until after the season before making any future commitments.