On Thursday afternoon, the Oakland Raiders announced a contract extension for guard Gabe Jackson. Jackson has been a great player for the Raiders, and now was the time to lock him up. Oakland’s offensive line will stay big and mean for a while.
Jackson, 25, was a third round pick from Mississippi State in the 2014 draft class that seemed to fall all the way to the Oakland Raiders. Ever since entering the league, he has been dominant and protected Derek Carr. The Raiders did a smart thing by getting his deal done now.
Oakland Raiders Sign Gabe Jackson To Contract Extension
According to Ian Rapoport, Jackson’s new deal is five years and worth $56 million. Jackson has proven to not only be a good player, he’s also versatile. Jackson played his first two seasons at left guard, and then made the move to right guard in 2016. He is a three-year starter and is even regarded as one of the best pass-blocking guards in the league.
The #Raiders are signing G Gabe Jackson to a 5-year extension worth a whopping $56 million, source said. Locking up their future.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 29, 2017
Jackson has exceeded expectations after getting drafted. He has never suffered a significant injury during his career. After starting 12 games as a rookie, Jackson has played in and started every game after that. He does a nice job keeping the pocket clean for Carr, but he is also mean and physical in the run game. Jackson does a nice job opening holes for whoever is running behind him.
Jackson has earned every penny he is getting by being a good teammate and willing to do whatever it takes to help the team. Last season was the only time Jackson had ever been a right guard. He took the job and played great as evidenced by Pro Football Focus giving him a top-25 grade at the position. Whether he is on the left or the right of center, he will make plays and dominate. The Raiders now have a young franchise guard locked up for years. They just made their franchise quarterback, who himself just signed a massive extension, very happy.
