The New York Giants have already addressed many of their needs in free agency so far. However, they still have a void to fill in their secondary and they have yet to sign a cornerback who can start on the boundary opposite of youngster Deonte Banks.
Adoree’ Jackson filled that role last season, just as he had for the two seasons prior. While Jackson and the Giants seem headed for divorce, with so few cornerback options remaining in free agency, perhaps the two sides could give it one last go. The Giants may want to consider re-signing Jackson if there are no greater veteran options available to sign.
Could the Giants re-sign CB Adoree’ Jackson?
The option remains for the Giants to re-sign Jackson. Earlier this offseason, Jackson acknowledged the unlikelihood of him returning to New York next season. He likened the situation to a breakup in a romantic relationship and cited his desire to win a Super Bowl as a reason to move on.
But Jackson also left the door open for a possible return:
“If I come back, it’s all good,” Jackson said from Super Bowl LVIII Radio Row (h/t Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post). “If I don’t, is it going to hurt? It will, but I know it’s a business.
“At the same time, I know what I can do and the services that I bring to an organization — not just on the field, but being a locker-room presence and different things around the community. I’m hopeful [to be back], but you can never put anything past anybody.”
Re-signing Jackson would give the Giants continuity in the secondary
Jackson started 14 games for the Giants in 2023, totaling 63 combined tackles, eight pass defenses, and one interception, which he took back 76 yards for the first touchdown of his career. The 2023 season was the final season of Jackson’s three-year contract which he signed with Big Blue back in 2021.
Over the last three years, Jackson has been arguably the Giants’ most reliable defensive back. He turned in an elite performance during the 2022 postseason, holding elite Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson to under 100 receiving yards en route to New York’s first playoff win in over a decade.
The Giants lost a big piece of their secondary this offseason with safety Xavier McKinney leaving for the Green Bay Packers. Having too much overturn in the defensive backfield could disrupt the chemistry of those left over. There is an argument to be made for re-signing Jackson in order to maintain some continuity in the secondary.
How much would Jackson cost to re-sign?
The Giants are tight on salary cap space after spending big in the opening days of free agency. If they were to re-sign Jackson, it would need to be on a cheap, short-term deal.
According to Spotrac, Jackson had a projected market value of $11.3 million in average annual salary entering this offseason. However, considering all the top free agents have already signed and teams around the league have blown through their budgets, a contract like that seems unrealistic for Jackson.
Jackson is far more likely to land a one-year prove-it deal for about half the price of that Spotrac projection. The Giants currently have only $3.55 million in salary cap space, according to Over The Cap. But that number is fluid, and they are expected to make a move to open space soon. Once the Giants open up some more salary cap space, they could consider re-signing Jackson to an affordable contract to maintain some continuity in their secondary for the 2024 season.
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