Veteran players on the Jacksonville Jaguars were due to report to training camp on July 28. One of those veterans has chosen a different option instead.
Cornerback Dane Jackson has retired, according to a press release from the Jaguars on Tuesday, July 28. The team officially placed Jackson on the Reserve/Retired list and also signed cornerback Corey Ballentine on Tuesday.
Jackson, 29, was set to play in his seventh season in the NFL and his first with the Jaguars. The former Buffalo Bills defender signed a one-year, $1.22 million deal with Jacksonville in June, but he has decided to retire before playing out his contract.
Prior to signing with the Jaguars, Jackson
spent most of his career with the Bills. Buffalo drafted the cornerback in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he played four seasons there before signing a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers in 2024.
After Carolina released Jackson in February 2025, he signed on with the Bills for a second stint. Jackson spent most of the 2025 season on Buffalo's practice squad, though the team promoted him to the active roster ahead of its wild-card game against the Jaguars in January.
Jackson finishes his career having recorded 178 tackles, 30 pass defenses, three interceptions and two forced fumbles across 64 games (31 starts).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jaguars free agent CB signing retires before playing a snap in Jacksonville
