Wide receiver DeSean Jackson is still a deep threat, leaving the Redskins with a difficult decision to make when his contract expires after the season. (Tim Ireland/Associated Press)

Trailing by 10 points late in the third quarter, Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins heaved a 38-yard throw to DeSean Jackson, who had Bengals cornerback Adam Jones at his heels and a massive safety closing over his left shoulder.

Jackson outran Jones to make the catch and hung on even after a helmet-first hit from 6-foot-4, 225-pound George Iloka knocked him to the turf in a dazed heap. It was a bold, beautiful play that showcased Jackson’s rare speed and ball-tracking ability. And it set up a touchdown throw to Jordan Reed that reclaimed the Redskins’ momentum in the Week 8 tug-of-war with Cincinnati that ended in a 27-27 draw.

[Jackson practiced Friday, but listed as questionable for Packers game]

Since then, Jackson hasn’t played a snap. He trudged off the field to be evaluated for a concussion, then was cleared but didn’t return to the game. After a bye week to reknit, he sat out practice the next week with an ailing shoulder and missed last Sunday’s game against the Vikings.

The stretch of inactivity showcased something else about Jackson: his maddening duality. In one game, he might be the Redskins’ most dangerous weapon. In another, he might be sidelined by injury or, worse, on the field but not fully engaged.

1 of 84 Full Screen Autoplay Close Week 16: Washington 41, Bears 21 at Soldier Field Week 15: Carolina Panthers 26, Redskins 15 at FedEx Field. Week 14: Redskins 27, Philadelphia Eagles 22, at Lincoln Financial Field. Week 13: Arizona Cardinals 31, Redskins at University of Phoenix Staduim Week 12: Dallas Cowboys 31, Redskins 26 at AT&T Stadium Week 11: Washington 42, Green Bay 24, at FedEx Field. Week 9: Washington 26, Minnesota Vikings 20 at FedEx Field. Week 8: Washington 27, Bengals 27, at Wembley Field in London. Week 7: Washington 17, Lions 20 at Ford Field. Week 6: Washington 27, Eagles 20 at FedEx Field. Week 5: Washington 16, Ravens 10 in Baltimore. Week 4: Washington 31, Cleveland Browns 20 at FedEx Field. Week 3: Washington 29, NY Giants 27 at MetLife Stadium. Skip Ad × Photos from the Redskins’ season so far View Photos A look at the standout images from Washington’s games in 2016. Caption Washington went 8-7-1 and missed the playoffs by a whisker. Here’s a look at the standout images from 2016. Reed celebrated his touchdown, which he hoped would set the stage for a dramatic Washington win. Nick Wass/Associated Press Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

All told, it amounts to a muddle of arguments for and against re-signing Jackson when his contract expires at season’s end.

Since joining the Redskins following his abrupt release by Philadelphia in March 2014, Jackson has yet to play a full season. This season, he has 30 catches for 416 yards and one touchdown, trailing Jamison Crowder, Reed and Pierre Garcon for most receptions on the team.

He’ll turn 30 on Dec. 1. And with his spotty participation in offseason workouts and a hot-cold approach to practice, he doesn’t fit the tough-nosed, team-first culture the Redskins want.

“Jackson’s a unique guy with a unique skill set,” said former Redskins general manager Charley Casserly, now an NFL Network analyst. “The problem is, if he’s sitting next to you in games instead of being on the field, that’s not helping you. So the Redskins have a decision to make about attitude and injury and health. When he’s active and out there, he has value because of that speed. You’ve got to decide whether he’s a guy you want to live with or not.”

The QB question

With seven weeks remaining in the regular season, neither Coach Jay Gruden nor anyone in the organization is commenting publicly about their thinking on re-signing Jackson or Garcon, their other veteran starting wide receiver who is also in the final year of his contract.

On any team, the decision about whether to re-sign a veteran turns on a few basic questions: What are you getting out of him? What are you likely to get next season? If he has skills you value, can you get the same thing from a younger player more cheaply?

[Crowder shows those who only notice his height everything they miss]

Wide receiver Pierre Garcon is also in the final year of his contract, and while he doesn’t have gaudy numbers this season, he runs high-contact routes. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The Redskins’ decisions about Jackson and Garcon, however, are complicated by two additional factors. First is the uncertainty about whether Cousins will return, keeping in place the current offense that’s tailored to his skills. Any contract that keeps Cousins in the fold would likely top $20 million and dictate how much money remains under the salary cap.

Second: The uncertainty about rookie wide receiver Josh Doctson, who’s on injured reserve with an Achilles’ ailment that afflicted one ankle and then the other. After undergoing multiple tests and treatments, Doctson is wearing a walking boot designed to stabilize the tendon.

But if the Redskins have gotten less than they hoped from Doctson, they’ve also gotten more than expected from Crowder, 23, the second-year wide receiver who is tied for the team lead with 44 catches and leads the team with five touchdowns. Crowder’s zeal in practice, dogged study habits, eagerness to improve and versatility both as a route-runner and punt-returner have made him a favorite of the coaching staff.

All of these issues are interrelated, said former NFL executive Joe Banner, now a league analyst for ESPN, and have bearing on whether the Redskins bring back Jackson or Garcon — or conceivably neither.

In Banner’s view, if the Redskins believe Doctson will pan out, they should keep just one of their veteran receivers. The question of which one hinges on the starting quarterback.

“If you’ve got a different quarterback than Cousins who may be flinging the ball more and going deep and long more, there’s a better case for DeSean,” Banner said. “If it’s Cousins, a scheme-quarterback who is quick and accurate with the ball, that’s a better case for Garcon.”

More than their stats

Gruden has no trouble pointing out positives in each. He likes the fact that Jackson alters defenses, which helps create opportunities for others even when Cousins doesn’t throw his way.

“DeSean gives us that speed, and I think people still respect it,” Gruden said this week. “They know when he checks in; ‘There is Number 11.’ They don’t want to get beat over the top by Number 11 because they know he can still run.”

And though Garcon has seemed at times the forgotten man in the Redskins’ third-ranked passing game, he reminds coach and teammates of his value with his intensity in practice and toughness on the field.

Said Gruden: “Pierre still makes a lot of the tough catches that not many people want to make — across the middle, tough catches, double-coverage, getting hit by a linebacker or safety. And he still can run after the catch very well.

“They both have great use to this offense, and they’re very important. People look at the stats and they’re like, ‘Wow, why are they getting paid so much? Thirty-five catches for whatever yards, one touchdown?’ But I think they bring more to the table than their stats say.”

[Pierre Garcon reflects on 500 career receptions]

Jackson, who’s listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against Green Bay (4-5), says he’s not worried about his next career step, confident there’s a market for his skills.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Jackson said Friday. “I still feel like I’m a threat in this league and play at a high level, whether it’s a contract year or not. I feel at the end of the day, I’ll be all right. All I can do is put my best foot forward and keep playing.”

Garcon views it much the same way. But if he has to re-establish himself in another NFL locker room, he’ll gladly do it.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to establish yourself every day and every year in the NFL,” Garcon said. “I actually like it. It shows where you’re at and how you measure up.”

Mike Jones contributed to this report.