There’s a reason why [INSERT TEAM NAME] so eagerly got rid of him….
Skeptical Steelers fans utter that phrase whenever the front office picks up a player for very little. They’re often right. The Steelers gave up next to nothing to bring Levi Brown and William Jackson to Pittsburgh but also got nothing in return.
But just because a team is willing to part ways with a player, doesn’t mean he’s bad.
- That brings us to Donte Jackson.
The Steelers got him in exchange for Diontae Johnson, who managed to get cut 3 times during 2024. Once again, the Steelers benefited from another “Khan Artist” level trade.
But the question remains, has Donte Jackson done enough extend his stay in Pittsburgh?
Donte Jackson intercepts a pass intended for Brock Bowers. Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn via SI.com
Profile of Donte Jackson’s Steelers Career
Donte Jackson made an excellent first impression, hauling in the game-sealing interception in the Steelers opening day win over the Atlanta Falcons. He went on to start 15 games for the Steelers, missing the regular season loss to the Ravens and then the season finale against the Bengals.
Jackson proved to be a ball hawk for the Steelers, hauling in 5 interceptions and recovering a forced fumble in the snow. He also finished the season with 8 passes defensed, which is often a better measure of coverage skills. For comparison’s sake, Joey Porter Jr. had 7 this past year.
Per Pro Football Reference advanced stats, he allowed a 69.9 passer rating in 2024, a career best.
The Case for the Steelers Resigning Donte Jackson
For better and for worse, the Steelers defense is turnover driven. Jackson accounted for 6 turnovers in 2024. The Steelers have struggled to draft and develop cornerbacks and Jackson fits the mold of players they brought in from the outside.
Think of Jackson as Joe Haden lite.
Sure, Cory Trice looked good in late season action, but he’s got a ominous injury history and his NFL sample size is small. Behind Thrice there’s next to nothing.
The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Donte Jackson
The Steelers play in the AFC North, home to Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, two perennial NFL MVP contenders. There is literally no margin for error on defense when playing against either of these two signal callers.
Jackson certainly played well early in the season, but he faltered on the homestretch. Injuries likely contributed to that, but in the playoffs Lamar Jackson had a 158.8 passer rating against Jackson. Sure, that was only one pass, but it went for a touchdown.
- The Steelers defense was exposed during the 5 game-losing streak.
With salary cap space to spare, the Steelers should use those dollars to bring in someone else to help them improve instead of staying on place by investing those to keeping Jackson in Pittsburgh.
Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Donte Jackson
If Omar Khan’s comments from the scouting combine are any indication, the Steelers are certainly open to bringing Jackson back. And that’s a healthy attitude to take – provided they keep the Ahkello Witherspoon experiment in mind.
Kevin Colbert traded for Witherspoon on the eve of the 2021 opener. He sat out until week 10, and then preceded to haul in 3 interceptions and knock away 9 passes in 9 games, while allowing a jaw-dropping 35 passer rating.
- To the naked eye, the Steelers had stumbled upon a steal with Ahkello Witherspoon.
They promptly resigned him. Alas, he only lasted 4 games into 2022, as Jalen Hurts torched him badly in the Steelers ’22 loss at Philly. He never saw the field again and got cut in the 2023 off season. Witherspoon rebounded with the Rams, but never approached the level he played at in late 2021.
Unlike Witherspoon, Donte Jackson has started for a full season for the Steelers and he’s done it as CB number 2. So they have a more “representative sample” as stats geeks would say.
- But that sample indicates the Steelers must be smart.
With Joey Porter Jr., Beanie Bishop and Cory Trice, the Steelers have the beginnings of a foundation at cornerback. But they need another veteran starter-capable corner and they need to draft someone. Passer rating allowed is often a dubious metric, but Jackson’s history there has been up and down.
The wise move for the Steelers would be to target a veteran cornerback and revert to resigning Jackson as a fallback move.
