The handwriting has long been on the wall regarding New York Giants cornerback Adoree Jackson's future with the team.
Playing in the final year of his contract last season, Jackson carried a high salary cap figure that the team never bothered adjusting. Adding to that was the rise of rookie Deonte Banks as the new CB1 on the team, with fellow rookie Tre Hawkins inserted at the other perimeter cornerback spot.
Jackson? He was moved to the slot at the start of the season but eventually returned to the perimeter when Hawkins began to struggle. Meanwhile, the former Titans first-round pick would complete three seasons in New York having missed 14 games due to injury thanks to his smallish frame.
A good (but not great) cover corner, a good match-up zone corner, and a below-average tackler who is a competitor, the 28-year-old Jackson is beat up physically to the point where he might be best served as part of a rotation and as depth rather than a starter.
And with his contract having voided five days after the Super Bowl, Jackson does not appear to have a future with the Giants moving forward.
That said, Jackson, who recorded 63 tackles, eight pass deflections, and one interception in 14 games last season, recently told the New York Post that while he didn't rule out a return to the Giants if they wanted him, he understands it's a business and that if the Giants don't want him, there will probably e another team out there that does.
“I think it’s like when you and your girl are going through a tough time, and everyone on the outside is looking for your downfall,” Jackson said. “The Giants are going to look for another corner, and another team is going to look for a corner, which is me. I want to be there, but this is our break period. Technically, I’m not on the team, but my locker is still in the facility, and I go over there when I stay out [in New Jersey].”
Jackson will be 29 right at the start of the season, and the Giants are thought to be looking for a veteran to line up opposite Banks. But again, that won't be Jackson, not given the aforementioned clues. New defensive coordinator Shane Bowen could want players with whom he's familiar, such as Sean Murphy-Bunting of the Titans, who is also younger than Jackson.
If the Giants do indeed move on from Jackson--and again, that's where things appear to be headed; the cornerback hopes to land with a club on the verge of winning a Super Bowl.
“I want to win a Super Bowl, and I know the Giants can win because we saw [in the 2022 playoff run] that it was a possibility. It boils down to the pieces and the staff being on the same page and doing the right thing to help us get there,” he said.
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