Tag: Donte Jackson

Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles hold a 17-13 lead over Steelers

Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles hold a 17-13 lead over Steelers

Philadelphia established its passing game and was dominant on defense, but the scoreboard tells a different story as the Eagles hold just a 17-13 lead over Pittsburgh after one half.

Vic Fangio’s defense held the Steelers to just 80 yards of offense on 30 plays in the first half, but two costly Eagles turnovers and two Chris Boswell field goals have Mike Tomlin’s team within four.

With the second half set to begin, we’re looking at sights and sounds from the first half.

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Who misses who more: Diontae Johnson or the Pittsburgh Steelers?

With Pickens injured and Johnson causing drama in Baltimore, it’s unclear who’s missing who more—Diontae Johnson or the Steelers.

What a difference a week makes! Heading into Week 14, the Pittsburgh Steelers WR room seemed to have found its groove: the alpha in George Pickens, the deep threat in Calvin Austin III, and the big-bodied Mike Williams. However, following a last-minute hamstring injury to Pickens, which may jeopardize his availability over the next few weeks, the Steelers may regret trading away former All-Pro WR Diontae Johnson this past offseason.

Johnson was traded to the Carolina Panthers nine months ago in March 2024 for CB Donte Jackson, and was then traded to the Baltimore Ravens on October 29. There appears to be an issue with Johnson’s usage in the Ravens’ offensive scheme, leading to him refusing to play during Baltimore’s Week 13 contest against the Eagles, resulting in a one-game suspension.

While fans may be quick to disparage Johnson’s value for drama-related reasons, Pickens may have ultimately been more dramatic and disruptive this season.

Nevertheless, the only exception is the fantastic acquisition of Jackson, with WR depth still an issue and Johnson unhappy in Baltimore; both sides likely would have benefitted if the trade had never taken place.

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Steelers CB Donte Jackson excited to face fellow LSU alumni in Week 13

Steelers CB Donte Jackson admires LSU alumni Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase ahead of Pittsburgh’s Week 13 matchup with Cincinnati.

The LSU brotherhood appears to be running strong. Although the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals are bitter rivals, CB Donte Jackson, who dons the Black and Gold, admires the impressive start fellow LSU alumni Bengals QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase have had to their NFL careers.

During media availability leading up to the Steelers’ Week 13 contest against the Bengals, Jackson spoke highly of both Chase and Burrow but specifically highlighted what makes Burrow so special: his “killer instinct.”

Reporters jokingly asked if Jackson spoke so highly of the two because of his ties to LSU, and the Steelers CB had one simple response: “Go Tigers.”

While Jackson admires the younger generations of great LSU talent, his admiration will quickly shift to determination, especially when he likely faces Chase directly in a few matchups. Fans can witness the action when the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13 on December 1st at 1:00 PM EST.

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Steelers-Bengals matchups to watch: Donte Jackson vs Tee Higgins

CB Donte Jackson faces WR Tee Higgins in a key Week 13 matchup as Pittsburgh looks to contain Cincinnati’s number two receiving threat.

One of the more underrated matchups from Week 13’s contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals will be the CB2 versus WR2 battle: Steelers CB Donte Jackson against Bengals WR Tee Higgins.

Jackson has performed admirably throughout the 2024 season, recording a team-high four interceptions and allowing only one touchdown through eleven games. Jackson’s most concerning statistic is his 13.2 yards per reception allowed, but his greatest strength is his outstanding 50.1 passer rating allowed when targeted.

Higgins has struggled to stay healthy in 2024, appearing in only six of his team’s eleven games but remaining productive when available. His best performance of the season came in Week 11, where he posted a whopping 148 receiving yards and one touchdown on nine receptions. While his 489 total receiving yards remain modest, Higgins has proven himself to be a reliable receiving threat for the Bengals opposite Ja’Marr Chase.

With much of the attention focused on Steelers’ CB Joey Porter Jr. heading into Week 13, Jackson has an opportunity to shut down a great receiver in Higgins when the Pittsburgh Steelers face the Cincinnati Bengals on December 1st at 1:00 PM EST.

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Steelers CB Donte Jackson takes playful jab at Panthers

The Panthers just caught a stray from their former CB Donte Jackson.

The trapper has become the trapped.

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson, formerly of the Carolina Panthers, spoke with reporters this afternoon—just a few days ahead of his team’s Week 12 matchup with the Cleveland Browns. Jackson was asked if his 8-2, AFC North-leading squad could be facing a trap game against their struggling 2-8 division rivals.

But Jackson, likely jokingly, didn’t understand what the term “trap game” meant . . .

Carolina selected Jackson in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft. And the Panthers, in his six seasons there, went a combined 31-68 with a grand total of zero playoff appearances.

Jackson, of course, was traded to the Steelers this past March. The then-28-year-old defender headed off to Pittsburgh in a deal involving former Pro Bowl wide receiver Diontae Johnson and 2024 pick swap.

Johnson has since been traded by the Panthers while Jackson continues to start on one of the best defenses in football.

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Steelers injury update: Donte Jackson expected to play vs Ravens

Donte Jackson suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday’s win over the Commanders.

It’s all hands on deck for the Pittsburgh Steelers this week as they prepare to take on the Baltimore Ravens. Fortunately, it looks like the Steelers will have both of their starting cornerbacks for this week’s game.

According to Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly, Pittsburgh cornerback Donte Jackson got a clean bill of health on his injured hamstring after an MRI and should be ready to go on Sunday, barring a setback. Jackson suffered the hamstring injury in last Sunday’s win over the Washington Commanders.

The Steelers traded for Johnson at the start of free agency. Pittsburgh sent disgruntled wide receiver Dointae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for Jackson. The Steelers definitely won this trade as Jackson has had a very strong season while Johnson is already on his second team of the season.

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Steelers face decision on Donte Jackson’s future as Byron Murphy emerges FA candidate

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a decision to make on CB Donte Jackson and Byron Murphy could be a younger potential free agent candidate.

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a valuable addition to their defense by trading for cornerback Donte Jackson this offseason. At 29, Jackson is having a standout year, arguably the best of his career. But this impressive performance also presents a dilemma: Jackson’s current one-year contract means he could be looking for a bigger payday next season, and the Steelers might hesitate to invest heavily in a player nearing 30.

A potential free-agency alternative could be Minnesota Vikings corner Byron Murphy, as suggested by Bleacher Report. The 27-year-old is flourishing under the guidance of defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who previously worked with the Steelers. Flores’ aggressive scheme has allowed Murphy to excel, showing he can press and play with physicality—qualities that would fit seamlessly into Pittsburgh’s defensive style. Bringing in Murphy could give the Steelers two corners adept at thriving in press coverage while adding youth to the position.

The Steelers face a strategic decision: Retain Jackson, who has proven invaluable through 10 games, or consider a long-term investment in a younger, proven cornerback like Murphy, who already aligns with the Steelers’ defensive philosophy.

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What trading Diontae Johnson means for the Panthers

The Panthers took a small gamble on Diontae Johnson back in the spring. It did not pay off.

You probably don’t have to try to galaxy-brain the coming and going of now-former Carolina Panthers wideout Diontae Johnson. This all might be quite simple.

As we continue to wait on some sort of official word, it appears as though the 28-year-old pass catcher is headed to the Baltimore Ravens. And between Carolina’s willingness to move their leading receiver and their pittance of a return for him, many fans—of the Panthers and NFL alike—seem very perplexed about the move.

Tuesday’s decision closes up what was a seven-month relationship for Johnson and the Panthers, one that began with a surprising swap back in March. The one-time Pro Bowler was sent to Charlotte in return for cornerback Donte Jackson and a 2024 pick swap that slightly favored the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If we combine the terms of that trade with the one that went down today, here’s what the Panthers have done . . .

  • Panthers trade: WR Diontae Johnson, CB Donte Jackson, 2024 seventh-round pick (No. 240), 2025 sixth-round pick
  • Panthers receive: 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 178), 2025 fifth-round pick

That whole shabang looks even worse when you consider what Carolina will reportedly have to pay Johnson to not play for them over the final few months of the season. Per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the Ravens will be responsible for around $625,000 on Johnson’s expiring contract—leaving the Panthers to foot a bill of about $3 million.

But all of this shouldn’t tell you that the Panthers were hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, run amok or flat out deceived. It should tell you that they were just, flat out, done with Diontae.

This offseason, the front office was looking for a go-to target to help develop second-year quarterback Bryce Young, and all they had to give up for it was a step down in the later rounds of the 2024 draft and Jackson—who was likely going to be released at the start of the new league year. Johnson, at worst, would be a rental—and at best, a productive No. 1 receiver who could earn himself a multi-year extension.

Johnson, additionally, did come over with some question marks regarding his maturity. Not to speculate that his style wore out his welcome with the Panthers, but it could explain why they were willing to eat most of his salary and take a very minor bump in draft capital to trade him.

Now, sitting at 1-7 and deciding on whether or not they even want to trot Young out in Week 9, the vision has changed. Now, Johnson became dispensable.

Moving forward, his departure will open up more opportunities for receivers who have actually figured themselves into the future—rookies Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker. Sunday’s outing against the Denver Broncos, where Legette scored on All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II and Coker put up a career day, certainly couldn’t have hurt the team’s outlook in a post-Johnson wideout room.

So, let’s just take this entire situation as it is—a small gamble that simply did not pay off.

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Steelers injury updates: 2 key Steelers lost in win vs Jets

Donte Jackson and Montravius Adams were both injured in Sunday’s win.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers 37-15 win over the New York Jets, head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media about the win and offered a brief update on the injuries that occurred. He noted several players had what Tomlin likes to call bumps and bruises associated with play and lost noted two more significant injuries.

Tomlin followed up on cornerback Donte Jackson and defensive tackle Montravius Adams. Tomlin said Jackson had a shoulder injury and was unable to return and Adams suffered a knee injury and missed the remainder of the game.

Jackson’s absence opened the door for James Pierre and the Jets took advantage of the mismatch. For Adams, the Jets made a strong effort to run the ball without the backup nose tackle in the rotation but the rest of the defense stepped up to fill in the gaps.

Tomlin will offer an update at his usual Tuesday press conference when the team begins preparations to take on the New York Giants.

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CB Donte Jackson isn’t surprised by his 2024 success

CB Donte Jackson has been looking like the best Steelers’ acquisition from the 2024 offseason. He currently is tied for 3rd-most INTs.

If you asked any NFL player which positional group had the most confidence, swagger, or trash talk, many would argue it’s the cornerbacks. One Steelers cornerback has more than backed up his confidence with incredible playmaking ability so far in the 2024 season. The elite talent in question is none other than CB Donte Jackson, whom Pittsburgh acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers this past offseason. 

Jackson is currently tied for the third-most interceptions in the NFL this season, with three, sharing the title with New Orleans’ Paulson Adebo and Detroit’s Brian Branch. Only two interceptions away from the top spot, Jackson isn’t surprised by his success: 

https://twitter.com/Aaron_M_Becker/status/1846636115362501101

The Steelers currently sixth in the NFL in interceptions, and Jackson’s splash plays are a huge reason why. Will Jackson continue his early success in 2024 and eventually take the top spot overall in total interceptions? His toughest challenge yet comes in Week 7’s contest against the Jets, where he’ll have to contend with the terrifying WR duo of Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. 

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