Tag: Malik Jackson

Broncos Super Bowl 50 champion Malik Jackson announces retirement from NFL

Former Broncos DL Malik Jackson, who recovered a fumble and scored a touchdown in Super Bowl 50, has retired after 10 seasons in the NFL.

Denver Broncos Super Bowl 50 champion Malik Jackson announced during an interview on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football on Friday that he has retired after 10 seasons in the league.

“That was the goal — 10 to 12 years was my goal,” Jackson said, via NFL.com. “I was able to get to a point where I was doing OK. I was doing pretty well for myself. I did enough. I have a daughter, and I need to go home and be with her and start living life.”

Jackson, 33, was picked by the Broncos in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft out of Tennessee. He went on to play four seasons in Denver and was a key member of the “No Fly Zone” defense that led the Broncos to a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

Jackson totaled five tackles and recovered a fumble for a touchdown in that Super Bowl. He left in free agency after that title, joining the Jacksonville Jaguars on a six-year, $85.5 million deal. Jackson spent three years in Jacksonville before a two-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jackson played for the Cleveland Browns in 2021 and then sat out the 2022 season before officially announcing his retirement this summer. Jackson ends his career with 292 tackles (63 behind the line), 106 quarterback hits, 35.5 sacks, 29 pass breakups, six forced fumbles and one Super Bowl win on his resume.

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Former Browns defensive tackle Malik Jackson announces his retirement

A former Browns defensive tackle hangs up the cleats.

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Long-time defensive tackle Malik Jackson has called it a career after ten years in the NFL. Jackson, of course, spent the 2021 season with the Cleveland Browns as they paired him with Malik McDowell along their interior. He racked up two tackles for loss, seven hits on the quarterback, and a half of a sack that year in the brown and orange.

Jackson started his career with the Denver Broncos before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles for two seasons before coming to Cleveland as well.

He had this to say on Good Morning Football earlier this week:

“That was the goal. 10 to 12 years was my goal… I was able to get to a point where I was doing OK. I was doing pretty well for myself. I did enough. I have a daughter, and I need to go home and be with her and start living life.”

Enjoy retirement, Malik!

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Eagles’ regular season countdown: Every player to wear No. 97 for Philadelphia

With Eagles training camp quickly approaching, we’re looking at every player to wear the No. 97 for Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Eagles will kick off their 2023 regular season against the New England Patriots on Sept. 10, now 82 days away.

From now until the start of the season, we’ll be counting down each day by revisiting the players who have worn that specific jersey number.

No. 97 is worn by free-agent defensive lineman Kentavius Street who will be a key rotational piece at multiple positions.

There have been some memorable players to don the number, including Javon Hargrave.

With less than 90 days until kickoff, here’s a look at every player to ever wear No. 97 for the Eagles (via Pro Football Reference):

Louisville QB Malik Cunningham has met with the Commanders

Malik Cunningham was a four-year starter at Louisville.

While the Washington Commanders have maintained that they do not expect to make a major splash at the quarterback position this offseason, the team continues to evaluate college quarterbacks ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

Washington hosted Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker on a top-30 visit. Hooker is expected to be the fifth quarterback selected due to his suffering a knee injury late in the 2022 season. Hooker could go anywhere from the late first round to the second round.

Another quarterback Washington has taken an interest in is Louisville’s Malik Cunningham. No, Cunningham isn’t Lamar Jackson, but he’s a dynamic dual-threat passer who could be available on day three of the 2023 NFL draft. With many teams employing RPOs, quarterbacks like Cunningham are now popular players.

According to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network, the Commanders are among the teams who have met with Cunningham.

The 6-foot-0, 192-pound Cunningham was a four-year starter for the Cardinals, passing for over 9,000 yards with 70 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. Cunningham rushed for over 3,000 yards and 50 touchdowns.

With Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett entrenched as Washington’s top two quarterbacks, Cunningham would be a nice developmental addition to the Commanders’ quarterback room.

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Breaking down the Eagles $52 million in dead money

Breaking down the Philadelphia Eagles’ $52 million in dead money on the 2022 salary cap

One of the most important off-season’s in Eagles franchise history is complete and with Carson Wentz’s dead money off the books, the Birds are looking at much greener pastures from a salary cap standpoint moving forward.

After the salary cap decreased from $198.2 million in 2020 to $182.5 million in 2021 due to the COVID-19 impact, the cap rose to $208.2 million in 2022.

There are still a few issues, with a total of 14 current or former Eagles accounting for almost $53 million in dead cap space.

Eagles dead cap space: 48 current or former players account for over $62 million

Philadelphia Eagles dead cap space: 48 current or former players account for over $62 million

The Philadelphia Eagles had 6 injured or absent players accounting for more than $20 million in salary-cap space.

That’s not even the worst of it, as the Eagles also have 48 players, some of who are still on the roster, accounting for over $62 million in dead salary cap space.

The Eagles will carry the largest dead money cap hit in NFL history this season after the team traded Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts.

Philadelphia’s salary cap situation was among the worst in the league after years of pushing back contracts, void years, and restructures.

Wentz’s isn’t the only former Eagle on the books for 2021 and we’ve presented all the dead money cap hits for Philadelphia this season per Over The Cap, and Spotrac.

7 key Browns players the Chargers must game plan for in Week 5

Highlighting a few players on the Cleveland Browns that could make it difficult for the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Los Angeles Chargers take on the Cleveland Browns this Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Here are a few players on the Browns that the Bolts must hone in on to come out victorious.

EDGE Myles Garrett & Jadeveon Clowney

The Browns boast a fearsome front that has terrorized opposing backfields every week. But there has not been a player that has done as much damage as Garrett this season. Garrett has seven sacks and 25 quarterback pressures through four games, which rank first and second in the NFL. Rookie Rashawn Slater has quickly established himself not only as a top rookie but one of the better tackles in this league, allowing pressure on just 3.4% of his pass-blocking snaps in 2021 (8th at left tackle). This will be arguably his most challenging matchup yet. Clowney, on the other hand, should pose a threat to right tackle Storm Norton. The veteran pass rusher has totaled 21 pressures, 13 hurries and three sacks.

DT Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell

One of the main reasons Cleveland ranks first in the league in run defense is because of the two men in the middle of the defensive line. Along with doing the dirty work in the trenches to allow their teammates to roam freely to attack ball carriers, Jackson and McDowell have been a nuisance for opposing interior defensive linemen, often seen pushing them five yards into the backfield to collapse the pocket. Between the two, they have combined for 22 pressures and 16 hurries. The Chargers’ interior has been rock-solid for the most part in the first four weeks. However, Matt Feiler has experienced some struggles in pass protection, most notably against the Raiders.

RBs Nick Chubb & Kareem Hunt

After being gashed on the ground the first three weeks of the season, the Chargers only surrendered 48 rushing yards against the Raiders last Monday. While there’s some hope for improvement after the fine-tuned performance, it won’t be an easy task against a Browns backfield that ranks No. 1, averaging 177 yards per game. Chubb ranks second in the league in rushing yards with 362 yards, while Hunt averages 5.4 yards per carry. It all starts with winning the matchups up front to avoid holes from being created, rallying to the football and technically sound tackling.

LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

It doesn’t come around often that rookies make these lists, but the Browns’ second-round pick has been playing out of his mind since stepping on the field. With the combination of his size, speed, instincts and physicality, Owusu-Koramoah has impacted the passing game just as much as he has against the run. He’s already racked up eight run stops on 36 snaps in run defense for the NFL’s highest run-stop percentage at the position, per Pro Football Focus. On top of that, the first-year player leads the team in passes defended (4).

4 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 5 opponent: Browns

Highlighting important things to know about the Chargers’ opponent ahead of Week 5.

Following a victory against the Raiders, the Chargers are set to take on the Browns in hopes of picking up their third-straight win on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 1:05 pm PT.

Here are five key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the Week 5 bout:

Slow start

Quarterback Baker Mayfield’s 2021 season hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Through four games, he has only thrown two touchdowns, which is tied for the second-lowest. In addition, he is coming off arguably his worst game in almost a year, in which he completed only 15 of 33 passes for 155 yards against the Vikings. There are a couple of directions his recent struggles could point to, one of which could be because he is playing with a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder that he sustained in Week 2 against the Texans. Maybe the absence of wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who’s on injured reserve with a knee injury, is playing a role in his woes.

Running wild

Stopping the run has not been the Chargers’ forte, and now they are tasked with slowing arguably the league’s most dangerous rushing attacks, which is averaging 177 yards per game. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt make up the one-two punch. Chubb ranks second in the league in rushing yards with 362 yards, while Hunt is averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Bringing them down is not easy by any means, as they are among the best at generating yards after contact.

Championship-caliber defense

The Chargers have one of the better defenses in the league, but the Browns find themselves in the rare elite category. After finishing 19th in defensive efficiency, Cleveland boasts a unit that’s only allowed 16.8 points per game (4th), 250.2 yards per game (2nd), 183.8 passing yards per game (3rd) and 66.5 rushing yards per game (66.5).

Pressure makes the diamonds

A big part of the Browns’ defensive success comes from having an elite front. Leading the NFL in pass-rush win rate, edge defender Myles Garrett has contributed to a lot of their destruction, as he has the most sacks (6) and quarterback pressures (25). Opposite Garrett is Jadeveon Clowney, who’s proving that he was worth the signing, sitting with a 17.4% pressure, which would be his career-high. Inside of those two are Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell, who have dominated opposing linemen, consistently pushing them five yards into the backfield. Two weeks ago, the group sacked Bears QB Justin Fields nine times.

Malik Jackson embraces leadership role for Browns

The Cleveland Browns need free-agent signee Malik Jackson to play well on the field while providing veteran leadership. He is embracing it.

Adding Malik Jackson this offseason brought the Cleveland Browns a player who they believe will have a positive impact on the field. His addition to the team could also have a big impact off the field as a leader.

Jackson’s veteran presence became even more important with the release of Sheldon Richardson.

Jackson is tied with Malcolm Smith for the most NFL experience for the Browns. Both Jackson and Smith have a Super Bowl victory on their resume.

Cleveland is looking forward to Jackson reuniting with defensive coordinator Joe Woods after the two were together with the Denver Broncos in 2015.

While Myles Garrett is the team’s defensive cornerstone he has not been a vocal leader. Garrett also has only four years of experience at the pro level.

The rest of the Browns defensive line lacks the experience and leadership that Jackson brings. Jadeveon Clowney has bounced around the league and is looking to boost his value in his eighth season in the league. Takk McKinley came over in free agency with questions around his consistency while Andrew Billings has only played for the struggling Cincinnati Bengals franchise.

Jackson is embracing his leadership role:

“The biggest thing is humility,” Jackson said. “I understand who I am, and I understand what I bring. I want the best out of everybody, and if I’m talking to you, I’m talking to you because I want to get you better.”

While talent is the top priority, the Browns hope that Jackson’s experience and leadership are add-on bonuses to his signing. For the team to reach their goals, they need leadership from a player that can also get it done on the field. Jackson looks to be both.

Malik Jackson: Browns don’t need to sell themselves to Jadeveon Clowney

Jackson believes that if Clowney wants to win, he’ll come to Cleveland

Malik Jackson signed with the Browns so he could win a Super Bowl. The veteran defensive lineman doesn’t think there needs to be any bigger of a sales pitch from GM Andrew Berry and the team in luring free agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney either.

Jackson was asked about the team’s ongoing courtship of Clowney in free agency during his Zoom session with reporters. The way Jackson sees it, if Clowney values winning, he’ll jump on board.

“I don’t think I have to [try and recruit Clowney], to be honest with you,” Jackson said on Zoom. “The team speaks for itself and what we’re trying to build speaks for itself. So if you want to hop on board, come hop on board.”

Jackson stressed the importance of Clowney to weigh money versus winning at this point of his career.

“I understand the free-agency market isn’t what he probably wants, but things are bigger than monetary value, and you’d get a chance to be on a good team and set yourself up in the future.”

Clowney rejected an offer from the Browns a year ago that was significantly higher than the one-year, $13 million deal he ultimately received from the Tennessee Titans. He struggled in Tennessee, failing to record a sack in eight games before tearing a meniscus in his knee that required season-ending surgery.