Mistake Off The Field: No

Now this part is a little more tricky because it is more objective for each person to decide for themselves. Take this however you will, but this is how I see it.

No, I don’t think Jackson has been a bad idea off the field, and I can’t believe I have to say this about a guy who has not gotten in any trouble himself and has been involved in numerous team charity events throughout the year.

Bucs WRs DeSean Jackson and Mike Evans – Photo by: Getty Images

Let’s start with the one people were so fired up about earlier this year and that was Jackson, along with Evans, kneeling for the anthem when the Bucs played the Vikings in Week 3. This wasn’t a problem, it wasn’t a hatful act and it wasn’t with the intent many believe it was. This was Jackson joining a moment that he cared about deeply, one that probably affected him on more than one occasion growing up in Los Angeles.

The whole premise behind what he and many other players were doing was to get people to finally notice an issue that has been deeply rooted in society for, well, forever. After the game Jackson, along with Evans, stated firmly and confidently that his protest was not against the United States military. It wasn’t against the troops or their service and it wasn’t about telling people that all cops are bad – these are the narratives that were around the protest. This was Jackson doing his part, peacefully, to bring attention to a problem, one that absolutely exists.

And you know what he did the next week? He stood. Jackson isn’t a country-hating, military-hating, cop-hating cry baby or “thug” as some have chosen to label him. He’s a player who has worked hard for the platform he has, and he used it when its light was brightest to bring to light an issue of people treating people better. People care a lot about the flag. Jackson does, too. He wants the symbol of everything that flag stands for to mean everything it can in terms of how we treat people here with the freedoms we have. You won’t hear me condemn him for that.

Now, let’s get to the more recent event.

A police report came out this week that Jackson’s truck had been crashed into a tree late on Christmas Eve and inside the truck the police found marijuana and a couple of bullets. Jackson, who was not in Carolina with the team, as he was nursing an ankle injury, said that a friend of his took the truck without his permission and that’s how it got there.

I had some people in the comments of the article I wrote about this story say it isn’t news. Well, no, it absolutely is news, but is it a problem? No. There was only enough marijuana in the car for a misdemeanor, that’s it – and he wasn’t even the one driving. And for additional context, the two hallow-point bullets that were found in a car are a kind of bullet that is much safer and legal as a sort of protection, if you’re choosing to have a firearm.

Bottom line is: I don’t care.

This is a non-issue to me and as long as he cooperates with the police during the investigation, I don’t see it being an issue for anyone else either.