Before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2024 offseason, cornerback Donte Jackson was a member of the Carolina Panthers, a team that didn’t do much winning while he was there.
Jackson was a second-round pick of Carolina in 2018, and the Panthers never had a winning season while he was there. In all, the Panthers recorded an abysmal 31-68 record while Jackson was in Carolina.
While the Panthers were often the subject of the term “trap game” during his time there, Jackson was never on a team that could fall victim to such a contest.
But things are a lot different for him in 2024, as Jackson is on an 8-2 Steelers team that is set to face a 2-8 Cleveland Browns team, which is the definition of a potential “trap game” with how awful the Browns have been.
When asked about the possible “trap game” Pittsburgh has, Jackson joked he didn’t even know what that is because of all the losing he saw in Carolina.
“What’s a trap game?” Jackson asked. “What’s that mean? I played in Carolina for a long time, bro, I’m not familiar with trap games.”
Burn.
Acquired in the trade that sent wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Panthers, Jackson has been everything the Steelers could’ve hoped for.
Jackson is in the midst of a career campaign with a 53.3% completion rate allowed and a passer rating of 56.2 when targeted, both personal bests. Most importantly, he has stabilized the boundary cornerback spot opposite Joey Porter Jr.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Johnson is no longer in Carolina after he was dealt to the Baltimore Ravens at the trade deadline. And, the Panthers are once again a dumpster fire at 3-7.
The 29-year-old is set to hit free agency in 2025, but if he keeps playing at this level, there’s no question the Steelers will want him back. But, in the same breath, his standout performance will leave a lot of teams interested in his services.
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