Former Las Vegas Raiders defensive back Erik Harris just got another chance in the NFL after signing with the San Francisco 49ers this week and now his former teammate is returning after being off a roster all season.
The Carolina Panthers announced on November 29 that they have signed offensive guard Gabe Jackson to their practice squad.
#Panthers add veteran offensive lineman Gabe Jackson
Jackson has been in the NFL since he was a third-round pick of the Raiders in 2014. He quickly became a starter for the team and has gone on to start 130 of 131 games played, including 99 starts with the Raiders.
He was most recently a member of the Seattle Seahawks for the past two seasons but wasn’t brought back for 2023. He’s been out of the league all season despite only being 32. The Panthers have allowed 43 sacks this season, which is fourth-most in the NFL. Jackson has always been a strong pass protector so he’ll have a chance to make his way to the active roster.
He’s also healthy and durable as he’s only missed two games across the last three seasons. Jackson may not be a high-end guard at this stage in his career but he could provide a boost for a struggling Panthers offensive line if he can get back on the field.
Bye Week Comes at Good Time for Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are in the midst of their bye week, which is coming at a good time. Key players Maxx Crosby and Kolton Miller have been battling injuries. Crosby is dealing with a serious knee issue but hasn’t had to miss time. If the bye week didn’t come when it did, it’s possible he may have had to miss a game.
Miller missed two games with a shoulder injury but was able to return in Week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The extra week off should him get ready for the late-season charge. The Raiders haven’t had a break since head coach Josh McDaniels was fired.
The team has lost back-to-back games so having a chance to reset under interim head coach Antonio Pierce can only help.
Antonio Pierce Talks Bye Week
This is Antonio Pierce’s first bye week in the head coaching role and it sounds like he’ll go easy on the players. The Raiders are getting the bye week far into the season and Pierce had a message for his players.
“Get healthy. Get fresh,” Pierce said of the team’s plans for the bye week during his November 27 media availability. “We have two home games coming up. We talked about that as a team, as a staff. It was a great opportunity for us, three straight home games. Obviously, this one didn’t go how we wanted it to, but we have the Vikings coming here. But first and foremost, I told our guys to get themselves right. Get healthy, get fresh.
“Twelve weeks is a long time to go without a bye. And these guys have really battled through it, fighting through injuries. You saw what Maxx [Crosby] went through this week, and the will to want to play. These guys are not quitting. There’s no quit in this team. There won’t be quit next week. They’re going into the bye, we’ll become fresh, we’ll get back to work on Monday and get ready for the Vikings at home.”
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Ex-Raiders 99-Game Starter Returns to NFL With Panthers