It's the holiday season, and in the NFL, quarterbacks usually mark the occasion with gifts to the offensive line in front of them.
The line does spend the whole season keeping them protected, after all – well, unless you're Caleb Williams on the Bears – so, in many ways, it's the least a QB on a big contract can do.
Jalen Hurts and star running back Saquon Barkley had a joint gift for the Eagles' O-line this year: custom golf carts, complete with each respective player's name and number along with Hurts' and Barkley's logo on the back.
Eagles' beats spotted the carts lined up at the NovaCare Complex earlier this week, and then on Thursday, the Eagles uploaded the video of the linemen coming out to see their gifts to the team's social media channels.
Proceed to watch 300-plus-pound giants all become little kids:
The O-Line was a *little* bit excited to get their Christmas gift from Ole St. Jalen and Ole St. Saquon 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ioVLPe96ff
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 26, 2024
"That thing's fully-loaded," said center Cam Jurgens after Thursday's practice. "Stereo system, backup camera, that thing's badass."
"I might drive it to work," he joked.
'Tis the season.
A couple of other Eagles odds and ends…
Coach D-Jax?
DeSean Jackson is a college football head coach now.
Word broke Thursday that the former Eagles deep threat reached an agreement to take over Delaware State's football program, an HBCU, per ESPN's Pete Thamel, and the university made it official on Friday, with a press release complete with statements from athletic director Tony Tucker, Jackson, and even Andy Reid.
Desean Jackson and Delaware State are finalizing an agreement for him to take the head coaching job there, per ESPN sources. He did an on-campus interview in recent days and the sides are expected to come together in the near future. pic.twitter.com/KXO0AvGVbL
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 26, 2024
"HBCUs have much to be proud of in creating a more representative America," read Jackson's statement. "But that story is not simply a historical one. It continues to be written and includes the elevation of HBCU scholars and scholar athletes in every field of human endeavor.
"The opportunity for me to help write another chapter here at DSU is a once-in-a-lifetime moment consistent with my journey as a young boy finding his way to manhood through mentorship, accountability, achievement, and discipline," Jackson continued. "If we build that kind of culture at Delaware State University, we will attract the right talent and radically change the trajectory of this program. I cannot wait to get started."
From Reid, the former Eagles and current Kansas City Chiefs coach's statement: "I could not be more supportive of his desire to coach Division I football and would stake my career on his success at Delaware State University. We are bound at the hip and are forever family. I cannot wait to see where he takes the University and where the University takes him.
- MORE EAGLES
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- Eagles film review: QB Kenny Pickett vs. the Commanders
- The Eagles are shrugging off the Commanders loss, moving on to Dallas
Jackson was a rising star receiver for the Eagles in the late-2000s under Reid and then in Chip Kelly's first year as coach in 2013, before he became a casualty of Kelly's infamous re-tooling of the roster that offseason.
He returned to Philadelphia for a second stint in 2019, this time as a veteran deep threat for Carson Wentz and Doug Pederson's offense, but was plagued by injuries as that era of Eagles football imploded over the next two years.
The now 38-year-old is taking the leap into coaching now, and notably right after journeyman QB Teddy Bridgewater coached his high school alma mater to a state championship, then came out of retirement to join the Detroit Lions.
About that Ertz and Sirianni meeting
The Commanders came back at the last second and the Eagles lost, but during the postgame handshakes at Northwest Stadium down in Landover, something seemed to have gone wrong in an interaction between head coach Nick Sirianni and former Eagles now Commanders tight end Zach Ertz.
Writers and fans at the game spotted it. Neither person involved had much comment about it when asked postgame.
A few days later, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane reported that the handshake between Sirianni and Ertz went awry.
Sirianni was agitated, McLane recounted on his "Uncovering the Birds" podcast. Ertz went for a high five, Sirianni didn't appreciate that, and called out that Ertz only had one catch and didn't do much of anything during the game. Ertz didn't appreciate that. The two stood up to one another. Eagles security chief "Big" Dom DiSandro separated the two. Sirianni apologized to Ertz over a Zoom call later on.
Video of the encounter was posted following McLane's report, via local DMV station WUSA9.
Our camera caught part of this interaction (apologies for the blurriness).
It looks like Ertz goes in for the handshake/high five with Sirianni. Then Sirianni turns his head and says something to Ertz after he walks by. That fired the #Commanders tight end up @wusa9 https://t.co/z9nL8OVYUW pic.twitter.com/2JSDiC8iUL— John Doran (@JohnDoranTV) December 26, 2024
Both Sirianni and Ertz, however, appeared to have entirely calmed down and moved on by the time the story got out.
"Just keep all of my conversations with any guys private," Sirianni said during his Thursday press conference about his call with Ertz to apologize. "I got a lot of respect for Zach. Great football player, great person to be around, really got a lot of respect for Zach and all the good things that he's done and my relationship with him. "
And Ertz's perspective, via video from The Athletic's Ben Standig and transcription from PHLY's Zach Berman:
"Nick and I had a great relationship when I was there — we still have a great relationship. And I think it's definitely been blown way of proportion. We spoke. We're good. There's no ill feelings on my part. …Him and I are fine. Everyone knows how I feel about that place, that… https://t.co/q8nFielyxu
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) December 26, 2024
So it seems like an issue that's been patched up and closed up. It's over with.
The only thing is this is just the latest incident where Sirianni has rubbed someone the wrong way, and you can't confidently say it'll be the last.
'Tis the season.
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