Just one year after signing a two-year, $8.5 million contract, the Carolina Panthers have decided to release cornerback Dane Jackson. A seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh product first made a name for himself with the Buffalo Bills. Overcoming his poor draft capital, Jackson became a key part of Buffalo’s secondary and provided solid play while helping the team make the playoffs in all four of his seasons with the club.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t carry that magic to Carolina. After starting the season on the injured reserve, the cornerback returned to the field midway through the season but never looked like his old self. Appearing in 10 games while making six starts, the fifth-year pro ended his season with a 33.8 PFF grade, which would have ranked last in the league if he had enough snaps to qualify.
This was a disastrous season, and the Panthers had no choice but to release Dane Jackson and save $3.3 million in cap space. However, he proved he could be an NFL-caliber player in Buffalo, and the following three teams could bring him in and try to recapture his old magic.
Panthers Release Dane Jackson – 3 Teams Could Sign Embattled Cornerback
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints must get creative over the next few months. Currently stuck with one of the league’s least talented rosters and sitting $47 million over the salary cap, General Manager Mickey Loomis will struggle to field a competitive team in 2025. Lacking the financial resources or draft capital to go after elite players, New Orleans must look for diamonds in the rough, and they could target Dane Jackson after his Panthers release.
The Saints already traded Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders and they probably won’t be able to re-sign Paulson Adebo as a free agent. Second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry is promising, but he needs some help. Dane Jackson is not a superstar, but the Buffalo version of the cornerback could start on this defense. Seeing as he shouldn’t cost much more than the league minimum, New Orleans might as well see what he can do.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks have two strong cornerbacks in Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen. While this is enough to ensure their defense won’t be an active liability, they could use a third option in the secondary. Josh Jobe didn’t do much of anything last year, and the impending free agent may not be welcome back with the club. Dane Jackson wasn’t ready for an increased role with the Panthers, but he could make a nice depth option after his release. If nothing else, he’d be a nice dart throw for a team that shares a division with three starting-caliber quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray, and Brock Purdy.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have a lockdown cornerback in Trent McDuffie and a promising young player in fourth-round pick Jaylen Watson. These two are more than enough to power this secondary when healthy, but 2024 showed this team has a concerning lack of depth at the position. Steven Nelson was nothing more than a short-term answer, and Joshua Williams took a major step back following an encouraging 2023. Maybe he can improve in 2025, but signing Dane Jackson will give the team some security in the event Williams continues to disappoint.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – Imagn Images
