Report: The 49ers Waive Drake Jackson with Failed Physical

The Drake Jackson Era officially is over in Santa Clara. And for all intents and purposes, it never really started in the first place.

On Friday, the 49ers announced that they have waived defensive end Drake Jackson with a failed physical. That means he's free to sign with another team once he clears waivers and shows that he's fully recovered from a torn patellar tendon he suffered in 2023. He hasn't played let alone practice since he suffered that injury.

So Jackson's career might be over. The 49ers clearly think he's damaged good. Otherwise, they would have kept him for the final season of his rookie contract.

Don't forget, the 49ers picked Jackson in Round 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was their top pick that year because they traded their first-rounder to the Miami Dolphins for the right to draft Trey Lance.

Jackson was supposed to be the long-term bookend opposite Nick Bosa. But in 23 career games, Jackson made exactly zero starts and recorded just six sacks. And three of those sacks came in one game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. So even when Jackson was healthy, he was a massive disappointment.

To make matters worse for the 49ers, four picks after they took Jackson, the Broncos took edge rusher Nik Bonitto who had 13.5 sacks last season. Unfortunately, they picked the wrong player.

This week, Jackson posted on social media that he's ready to "wreck havoc" this season. Perhaps he'll do well on a new team with a different training staff.