The Philadelphia Eagles have poached another former member of the New York Giants. Days after losing Darius Slay to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Eagles signed cornerback Adoree' Jackson in free agency, allowing him to reunite with Saquon Barkley in the City of Brotherly Love, per Jordan Schultz.
Though the specifics of the deal remain unknown, it would appear to be a one-year agreement. Jackson, 29, signed a one-year, $1.75 million extension with the Giants in 2024 to give him a fourth year with the team.
Jackson's addition provides veteran depth to a positional group that lacks experience. On top of losing Slay, the Eagles chose not to re-sign veteran James Bradberry IV — another former Giant — who spent the entire 2024 season on injured reserve. Jackson projects to work behind Cooper DeJean, who is coming off a standout rookie season, at the nickelback position.
Although he never made a Pro Bowl roster, Jackson has been one of the Giants' top cornerbacks since his arrival in New York. Shifting into the nickelback position as he aged, Jackson was a key mentor to breakout rookie Dru Phillips in 2024. Jackson tallied 28 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and five pass breakups in 2024.
Now eight years into his career, Jackson initially entered the league as the Tennessee Titans' 2017 first-round pick. The Titans took him following a stellar four-year career with USC that included two first-team All-Pac-12 nominations, a Jim Thorpe Award and a consensus first-team All-American season.
Despite the hype he entered the league with, injuries have plagued Jackson's otherwise solid career. He has not played a full season since 2018, his second year in the NFL. Durability issues have limited his effectiveness in special teams, where he previously doubled as a dynamic return specialist. Jackson has not attempted a punt return since the 2022 season or a kick return since 2019.
Adoree' Jackson joins Eagles' young defense
Jackson, who turns 30 in the fall, will immediately be one of the oldest members of the Eagles defense. Since winning Super Bowl LIX, Philadelphia has opted to lean on its promising young core in Vic Fangio's system.
Including DeJean, the Eagles' defense is full of young stars still on rookie contracts. NaKobe Dean, Quinyon Mitchell, Kelee Ringo, Zach Baun and Jalen Carter are all still on their initial deals. Overall, 10 of the team's projected defensive starters were acquired from the draft.
The Eagles' defense ranked among the best in the league in 2024. They were first in opponent points per game and total yards allowed. Fangio's unit also ranked in the top five in touchdowns allowed, opponent pass yards per game, opponent rushing yards per game and opponent completion percentage. Philadelphia was also top 10 in turnovers forced and sacks.
Overall, defense was as much of a strength as the Barkley-powered offense was en route to a Super Bowl ring. While Barkley won the 2024 AP Offensive Player of the Year award, both Mitchell and DeJean were finalists for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Fangio also finished fourth in the 2024 AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award.
Jackson becomes one of the Eagles' top free agent acquisitions during a relatively modest offseason. He joins edge rusher Joshua Uche and running back AJ Dillon, among others, as veterans joining the reigning Super Bowl champions in 2025.
