Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Donte Jackson spent his first six NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Now that the Chargers are 0-5 and the Panthers have a need at cornerback, the two sides could come together on a trade, according to Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report.
Knox wrote that Jackson is currently recovering from a hamstring injury. However, due to a need for cornerbacks and few being available, Jackson is a likely option to be coveted by teams.
“Jackson started 15 games for the Chargers last season and allowed an opposing passer rating of only 56.8 in coverage,” wrote Knox. “Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have dealt Joey Porter Jr., Jackson should be a top option for cornerback-needy teams.”
Knox suggests a fifth-round pick can get a deal done.
Carolina Panthers Could Trade Los Angeles Chargers for Donte Jackson
Jackson was drafted 55th overall by the Panthers in 2018. He started in 76 games over six seasons with the Panthers. The Panthers starter also had 14 interceptions over that time. He signed a three-year, $35M extension with the Panthers after his third year, allowing him to stay beyond his rookie contract.
Jackson signed a one-year, $6M deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. He started in all 15 games for the Steelers. Now, he is in the last year of his two-year, $13M deal.
He currently has a cap hit of $8.5M this year, so the team acquiring him will not take on much of a cap hit. The Chargers are unlikely to re-sign Jackson, and sitting at 0-5, he is not helping them this season. So, if the right team makes the right offer, it is easy to see a deal coming together.
Panthers Have Need at Cornerback
Coming into the season, the Panthers had one of the more promising cornerback duos in the NFL. However, Jaycee Horn tore his quad and will miss the majority of the season. His partner, Michael Jackson, had a groin injury and was placed on the IR.
In their place, they have been starting Will Lee and Akayleb Evans. Lee is a rookie fourth-round pick from Texas A&M. He played the majority of the snaps in Week 3 and then started in Week 4. He will likely get a chance coming out of the bye.
Evans is a former fourth-round pick from the Minnesota Vikings. He spent his first three seasons with the Vikings but was traded to the Panthers in 2024. He spent the past two seasons in Carolina, but has just 19 career NFL starts. 15 of them came with the Vikings in 2023.
He has two starts and 212 snaps in about two seasons’ worth of games for the Panthers. So, the team does not want to stick with him for too long. Jackson is a rental who can give them an upgrade over Evans. It makes sense they would be tied together.
Panthers Could Reunite With Former Second Round Cornerback