If there were any responses by NFL players on social media lashing out against a blatantly anti-Semitic post by Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson, Geoff Schwartz did not see them.
Nor did he expect to see them.
“There was more outrage, people were more upset with Drew Brees than they were with DeSean Jackson,’’ Schwartz, a former NFL offensive lineman, told The Post, referring to Brees stating he could not accept anyone kneeling during the national anthem, before backtracking. “That’s just — I didn’t expect much, I really didn’t. I haven’t seen one NFL player talk about it.’’
Jackson, 33, on Instagram shared a highlighted quote wrongly attributed to Hitler that included, “… the Jews will blackmail America. [They] will extort America, their plan for world domination won’t work if the Negroes know who they were.”
The Eagles, and the NFL, repudiated Jackson for the postings and Jackson took to Instagram on Tuesday to issue an apology, stating in a video, “My post was definitely not intended for anybody of any race to feel any type of way, especially the Jewish community.’’
Schwartz, who is Jewish, called Jackson’s postings “ignorant’’ and added that “there’s no place for it.’’
In a seven-year NFL career with the Panthers, Vikings, Chiefs and Giants that ended after the 2015 season, Schwartz was open about his Jewish heritage. He found most of those around him knew little about his religion.
“A lot of players in locker rooms don’t know anything about Judaism,’’ he said. “They weren’t raised around Jews, they never talked to any Jews, they don’t understand what anti-Semitism is, or could be.’’
During his time in the NFL, Schwartz said, he did not encounter overt anti-Semitism, but he did grow uncomfortable during one particular conversation with two teammates in the Giants cafeteria.
“I was eating breakfast one morning and it just happened,’’ Schwartz said. “I was told that if I wanted to be saved, I needed to convert and if I didn’t, I was going to hell. Then he made mention my son was going to hell and the conversation ended and I went on with my day.’’
It remains to be seen what comes next for Jackson. Schwartz does not think Jackson should be cut or even suspended, preferring that this be “an opportunity for him to learn a little bit’’ from this situation.
“I think we go too far at times with the cancel culture,’’ said Schwartz, an NFL analyst and host of the “Geoff Schwartz Is Smarter Than You’’ podcast. “There definitely are things in life that should be canceled. I don’t know if people should be canceled or cut from the team for a couple of Instagram stories.’’
Schwartz pointed to a precedent within the Eagles organization when Riley Cooper, one of their receivers in 2013, was caught on video saying a racial slur during a Kenny Chesney concert. Cooper apologized and was not released.
As for the silence from the Eagles players — quarterback Carson Wentz was noticeable for his support of the Black Lives Matter movement after the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis — Schwartz again is not surprised.
“I think part of it is most of the people who have spoken out over issues that have happened in our country, they’re very and dear to their hearts, right?’’ he said. “A lot of Jewish athletes aren’t speaking up about this because there’s not a lot of us, there’s like three in the NFL. I think some of them don’t feel comfortable talking about it, and why should they?
“With Black Lives Matter, a lot of players who aren’t black agree with the movement and are supportive of the movement. There’s just not a lot of Jewish players. I’m not surprised no one stood up for the Jewish people about these comments. That doesn’t really outrage me, though. I’m like ‘All right, I didn’t expect anyone to stand up for Jewish people.’ ’’