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When the New York Giants travel south to take on the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, several of the faces on the opposite sideline will be familiar to starting cornerback Adoree’ Jackson.
That includes Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who took over the team during Jackson’s second NFL season. During a recent appearance on the “Cut To It” podcast, Jackson described Vrabel’s coaching style as one that did not mesh well with his playing style.
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“I really got tested with adversity after my rookie season because everybody on the staff got fired,” Jackson said on the podcast, via the New York Post. “…Vrabel got there and, at the end of the day, I had to get used to him and what he wanted — the type of player he wanted and the style he wanted, as that being my first time trying to get used to it.
“We didn’t jell. It didn’t mesh right. My play didn’t work and the way he was coaching didn’t work for me.”
Jackson, 26, was a first-round pick (18th overall) out of USC in the 2017 NFL Draft. Mike Mularkey was the Titans head coach when Jackson was selected, and although they went 9-7 and beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round of the AFC Playoffs, they decided to move on from Mularkey after Jackson’s rookie season.
The Titans went 9-7 and missed the playoffs in their first season under Vrabel, but they have steadily improved ever since. They appeared in the AFC Championship following the 2019 season and have claimed the AFC South title each of the past two seasons, peaking at 12-5 in 2021.
Jackson had a career-high 17 passes defensed as a rookie, but that number started dwindling once Vrabel entered the fold. Jackson had 10 passes defensed in 2018, then totaled just six over the next two seasons as he missed a total of 18 games due to injuries.
Despite picking up Jackson’s fifth-year option in May of 2020, the Titans ended up releasing Jackson the following offseason.
Giants Gave Adoree’ Jackson a Crucial Second Chance
Although Jackson was not a fan of Vrabel’s coaching style, it sounds like his personal relationship with the Titans head coach was not damaged. While speaking on the “Cut To It” podcast, Jackson mentioned a lesson from Vrabel that stuck with him.
“The thing he taught us the most was about second chances,” Jackson said, via the New York Post. “He was like, ‘Man, a lot of people don’t get second chances. If you do, make sure you make the most of it.’ I say that all the time now.
“At the end of the day, even though we didn’t mesh as a player and coach, as people, I can resonate with some of the things he was saying. At the end of the day, I can never bash him or say anything bad.”
Jackson’s second chance came when the Giants offered him a three-year, $39 million contract last offseason. In his first season with the Giants, Jackson recorded 62 tackles, eight passes defensed and an interception in 13 games played (12 starts).
Giants Asking Adoree’ Jackson to Step Up in 2022
Now that the Giants have parted ways with former Pro Bowler James Bradberry, they are calling on Jackson to step up as the team’s top cornerback in 2022.
Jackson is the veteran leader among an inexperienced group of Giants cornerbacks. Second year pro Aaron Robinson is expected to step up as the other starting outside cornerback, while Darnay Holmes and third-round rookie Cor’Dale Flott battle it out for the role in the slot.
Jackson’s leadership will be tested in Week 1, when he faces Vrabel and several of his former Titans teammates.
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