Is Jay-Z's agency closing in on another star athlete in the tri-state area?
NFL.com's Albert Breer reported Sunday thatPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson has fired agent Drew Rosenhaus, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, CSNPhilly.com and USA Today all reported that Jackson might sign with Roc Nation Sports.
Breer: Gunning the Eagles' engine
What has new coach Chip Kelly brought to Eagles practices? Speed, speed and more speed, Albert Breer says. **More ...**
Landing New York Yankees star Robinson Cano was the firm's first major score. New York Jets rookie Geno Smith became Roc Nation's first high-profile NFL client last month.
The Smith signing didn't come without controversy. Breer reported last week that the NFL Players Association sent a letter of inquiry concerning Jay-Z's involvement in the recruitment of Smith to Roc Nation agent Kim Miale.
Agents are prohibited from having colleagues or friends who aren't NFLPA-certified agents present for recruiting meetings. Smith has denied the rapper was involved in the courtship.
According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, Jackson is expected to wait some time before he hires an agent, and he has not met with any agencies yet. His original thought was to go without an agent, but that might change as he is now being pursued aggressively. Jackson is mulling his options.
"I don't know right now," Jackson told reporters Tuesday. "It's a lot of thoughts. The (reports) are what they are, but coming out of my mouth, I don't know yet."
Jackson cited "personal issues" for dismissing Rosenhaus.
Jackson signed a five-year, $47 million deal with the Eagles in March 2012. But he has little guaranteed money after 2013 and might be playing his final season in Philadelphia. It's also no secret that Jackson wants to be a rapper. (Insert labored Jay-Z lyric reference here.)
UPDATE: Denise White, Jackson's publicist, tweeted the following:
The Associated Press contributed to this report.