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Former Panthers CB named Chargers biggest bust candidate

The Chargers may regret taking a flyer on Donte Jackson.
Zach Roberts|
Dec 17, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson (26) is introduced before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Dec 17, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson (26) is introduced before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers moved on from Donte Jackson after the 2023 season. They traded him as part of the package for Diontae Johnson, which is a deal that ultimately aged pretty poorly on both sides. The Pittsburgh Steelers, though, did get a full season out of Jackson, unlike Carolina and Johnson.

However, the Panthers probably made the right choice to move on. Jackson hit free agency this offseason, and he was pretty awful down the stretch for the Steelers. Now, he's being labeled the Los Angeles Chargers' biggest bust candidate by Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox.

"The Los Angeles Chargers decided to let 25-year-old cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. depart this offseason after stinger injuries limited him to four games in 2024 (he remains unsigned). To help reload the cornerback room, L.A. signed 29-year-old corner Donte Jackson to a two-year, $13 million contract," he said.

While he called it a "fairly reasonable price point for a starting corner," he thinks the Chargers will still regret this decision. "While Jackson was mostly dependable during his time with the Carolina Panthers and played well for the Steelers early last season, he showed significant regression late in 2024," Knox added.

PFF was particularly brutal on Jackson, giving him the 187th overall grade and ranking him 195th in coverage. Based on that, it's hard to expect anything good in Los Angeles, so the Panthers and the Steelers probably dodged a bullet here.

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Zach Roberts
ZACH ROBERTS

Zachary Roberts is a journalist with a wide variety of experience covering basketball, golf, entertainment, video games, music, football, baseball, and hockey. He currently covers Charlotte sports teams and has been featured on Sportskeeda, Yardbarker, MSN, and On SI.

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