Jackson Returns in Time to Give Eagles Needed Lift : Football: Tight end, who ended his 50-day holdout without signing a new contract, brings relief to Philadelphia’s receiving corps.

The exchange was brief--more professional than cordial--but it surprised Keith Jackson nonetheless.

Jackson was walking off the field after the Philadelphia Eagles’ 27-21 victory over the Rams Sunday at Anaheim Stadium when he was stopped by Eagles’ owner Norman Braman.

“Good game, Keith, good game,” Braman said.

“Thanks,” Jackson answered.

Braman and Jackson hadn’t exchanged too many words since Wednesday, when Jackson ended a 50-day holdout over his contract. With only two days of practice, Jackson started Sunday and caught four passes for 77 yards.

But Jackson’s return wasn’t exactly smooth.

He was upset the Eagles didn’t renegotiate his four-year, $2.1-million contract, but he came back anyway. He said Braman was holding off negotiations with him so the Eagles, who lost their first two games, would keep losing.

Jackson said Braman was using the slow start as an excuse to fire Coach Buddy Ryan. Braman denied both charges.

So did Braman and Jackson settle their differences Sunday?

“I’m trying not to think about it,” Jackson said. “We have to get the controversy out of the locker room if we want to win. All that’s behind me now.”

While Jackson didn’t get a warm welcome in the front office, Eagles’ coaches and players were glad to have the third-year pro back.

Especially Ryan.

“Keith Jackson’s presence opened up a lot of things,” Ryan said. “You know he’s the best tight end in football. We gave him the game ball for his leadership and enthusiasm.”

His presence brought relief to wide receiver Mike Quick, who had been double-teamed in Philadelphia’s first two games--losses to the New York Giants (27-20) and Phoenix Cardinals (23-21).

Quick had three catches for 37 yards and a touchdown Sunday before leaving in the fourth quarter with a sore quadriceps in his left leg. He had only four catches for 81 yards and no touchdowns in his previous two games.

“Keith is just another spoke in the wheel,” Quick said. “With him back, we had a lot of soft spots (in the coverage) downfield. It was nice to have someone back who could work in the middle of the field.”

Jackson’s presence also gave Randall Cunningham, the Eagles’ scrambling quarterback, an extra target.

“They (the Rams) really couldn’t key on anybody,” Cunningham said. “When they would key on the wideouts, we went to Keith. When they keyed on Keith, we went to the wideouts.”

Simple, but effective.

Jackson caught passes of 20, 13, 16 and 28 yards. Three of his receptions came over the middle, when Cunningham was scrambling away from Ram defenders.

“Randall did a good job of picking up the man-to-man coverages,” Jackson said. “He kept looking at me on the scramble.”

That’s how Cunningham found Jackson over the middle for a 20-yard gain on the second play of the game.

“I was standing out there yelling, ‘Hit me, hit me,’ ” Jackson said. “I wanted to get that first lick out of the way.

“Randall and I have always had a knack for this. It’s like with Doug Williams and Jimmy Giles, they have that knack too. Once (Cunningham) looks deep and doesn’t find anyone, he knows he can look over the middle for me.”

But for the last two weeks, Jackson wasn’t there.

Had he not ended his holdout, Jackson, a former All-American at Oklahoma, would have been in Norman, Okla., watching the Eagles on TV.

When told he probably wouldn’t get the Ram telecast in Oklahoma, Jackson said, “I would just watch it on my satellite (dish). Hey, we have money in Oklahoma.”

He’ll be spending some of that money this week.

Harry Gamble, Eagles’ president, told Jackson he would have to pay fines totaling $114,500 for his holdout. He has to pay $68,000 for the two games he missed and $1,500 per day for the 31 days he missed of training camp.

But for Jackson, it’s money well spent.

“I’m just glad to be back,” he said. “I think I did pretty good. (Former Oklahoma Coach Barry) Switzer always said I had some kind of magic about me. I was glad I brought some of the magic back today.”