Bolts From The Blue
Yet another former Pittsburgh Steelers player joined the Bolts in free agency to try and help fill a hole
One of the bigger needs heading into this offseason for the Los Angeles Chargers was at the cornerback slot. With multiple corners headed out the door in free agency, the Bolts needed to find some starter level players at the position as soon as possible. Having already signed Najee Harris away from the Steelers, the team turned towards Pittsburgh once more to find an answer in Donte Jackson to slot in as a potential starting cornerback.
Jackson was a long-time staple for the Carolina Panthers, serving as the team's starter for 6 seasons before being shipped off to Pittsburgh last year. Jackson has had his career up and downs, ranging from a solid starter to a serviceable journeyman. One thing Jackson has in spades however is speed. One of the faster defensive backs in the league, Jackson has the ability to shadow any teams primary speed threat without help over the top as well as make up for lost ground covered if he gets beat early on the route.
While Jackson isn’t going to walk in day one and be a lockdown corner, the Chargers found themselves a solid starter for the short term. The team may still need to add talent at the position later in free agency or find it in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Jackson is a very solid start especially given his contract value of 2 years, $13 million.
