Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson said he has no hatred toward the Jewish community and has issued an apology after posting on social media on Monday an anti-Semitic message that he attributed to Adolf Hitler and admiration for Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
The Eagles on Tuesday responded by calling Jackson’s posts “offensive, harmful and absolutely appalling” and said the team would take “appropriate action.” Team owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman are Jewish.
On his Instagram story feed, Jackson featured a quote he attributed to Hitler that said white Jews “will blackmail America. [They] will extort America, their plan for world domination won’t work if the Negroes know who they were.”
He also shared two posts on Instagram — on Saturday and on Monday — expressing admiration for Farrakhan, whom the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center have identified as anti-Semitic. Those posts have since been deleted.
“We have spoken with DeSean Jackson about his social media posts,” the Eagles said in their statement. “Regardless of his intentions, the messages he shared were offensive, harmful, and absolutely appalling. They have no place in our society, and are not condoned or supported in any way by the organization.
“We are disappointed and we reiterated to DeSean the importance of not only apologizing, but also using his platform to take action to promote unity, equality, and respect. We are continuing to evaluate the circumstances and will take appropriate action. We take these matters very seriously and are committed to continuing to have productive and meaningful conversations with DeSean, as well as all of our players and staff, in order to educate, learn, and grow.”
Jackson has already spoken with Roseman and is slated to talk with Lurie later Tuesday, a source told ESPN’s Tim McManus. No discussion of a suspension or termination has been raised with Jackson to this point, a source added.
The NFL released a statement Tuesday calling Jackson’s comments “highly inappropriate, offensive and divisive and stand in stark contrast to the NFL’s values of respect, equality and inclusion.” The league said it has been in contact with the Eagles on the matter.
Jackson on Tuesday posted an apology on Instagram saying he “really didn’t realize what this passage [attributed to Hitler] was saying” and that he was “sorry for any hurt I have caused.”
“I just want to first off extend an apology on behalf of me and what I stand for because … I never want to put any race down or any people down,” Jackson said in the accompanying video. “My post was definitely not intended for anybody of any race to feel any type of way, especially the Jewish community. What I posted, I definitely didn’t mean it to the extent that you guys took it, and I just wanted to let you guys know that I’m, you know, very apologetic, and I just want you guys to understand that it never was intended … to put any race down or any religion down.
“… I just probably should have never posted anything that Hitler did, because Hitler was a bad person, and I know that. I was just trying to uplift African Americans and slavery and just enlighten my people. … I didn’t intend any harm or any hatred toward any people. … I’m for love and I extend it every day.”
Jackson and Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz have spoken, a source told ESPN, after Wentz reached out to try to understand where Jackson was coming from.
After initially receiving criticism on social media, Jackson on Monday said the posts were taken “the wrong way.”
“Anyone who feels I have hate towards the Jewish community took my post the wrong way,” he posted on his Instagram story, along with the highlighted passage that was attributed to Hitler. “I have no hatred in my heart toward no one!! Equality. Equality.”
At the end, he added raised fist emojis in multiple skin tones.
The Anti-Defamation League of Philadelphia on Tuesday asked on social media for Jackson to “immediately apologize” and to learn more about Farrakhan’s “disturbing history of hate and antisemitism.”
“Deeply troubling to see @DeSeanJackson10 promoting the message of notorious antisemite and NOI leader Louis Farrakhan. We have reached out to the @Eagles about this and call on Jackson to immediately apologize,” ADL Philadelphia said on social media. “We urge Mr. Jackson to use his platform as a professional athlete to promote unity and positivity, rather than the divisive words of a bigot.”
The Eagles signed Jackson to a three-year deal in March 2019. It is his second stint with the team.
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