No regrets
Jackson says he made right choice picking Big Blue over Eagles
Adoree’ Jackson likes to joke that he canceled his free-agent visit with the Eagles because he was tired from a long day and just wanted to celebrate his mom’s birthday.
The truth is closer to that the Giants put so many familiar faces and such a lucrative deal in front of Jackson on the first of his two visits scheduled for March 22, 2021 that it would have been hard to walk away from a three-year, $39 million contract and ride down the New Jersey Turnpike to hear the Eagles’ proposal.
Nearly three seasons later, does he wish he had a do-over that could have led to more frequent winning with the Eagles (33-15) than he has experienced with the Giants (18-29-1)?
“I think I made the right decision,” Jackson told The Post. “It’s never been about the money. It’s about where you feel comfortable and where you feel at home. I didn’t go down there so I couldn’t tell what it was like, but it just felt good here. That’s where my heart was after I prayed about it.”
The Giants will face the Eagles twice over the final three weeks of the regular season, beginning Monday in Philadelphia. That’s where the only winning season of Jackson’s three-year tenure ended — on a loss in the NFC divisional playoffs in January — and where this year’s inevitable elimination from playoff contention could happen.
“Obviously, you want to win more ... and I didn’t think coming here that wouldn’t happen. You don’t ever think that,” Jackson said. “The signings we had when I first got here — me, Kenny Golladay, drafted some guys — but s--- just don’t go how we planned it. The next year, you see how it could go. This year, we’re in a different predicament and still battling.”
Jackson, 28, began his contract year with a team-first move to slot cornerback for the first time in his career to make room for rookie Tre Hawkins. After that experiment didn’t work, he resumed covering top receivers, though without the same level of success as when he shut down All-Pro Justin Jefferson in last year’s playoff win over the Vikings.
Jackson has allowed 36 catches for 487 yards and two touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus.
“You can nitpick, but if you turn on the tape I play at a high level — still do, still will,” Jackson said. “I’m not worried about my play, my athleticism, my smarts, who I am. I know how I play, what I bring to the table and the game plan for the week.”
Jackson was signed by general manager Dave Gettleman, to play under head coach Joe Judge, alongside his former Titans teammate Logan Ryan. All three were gone after one season, though longtime friend Darnay Holmes and a confidant from his days as a USC star, sports psychologist Dr. Lani Lawrence, remain in the building.
The irony is that Jackson’s fellow starting cornerback with the 2021 Giants, James Bradberry, is with the Eagles and enjoyed the fruit of a Super Bowl appearance.
“If you make a decision, you stick with it, you ride with it, and you understand the situation,” Jackson said. “There are a lot of what-ifs and possibilities, but you live in the moment. I love the guys here that I’ve played with, the coaching staffs I’ve met, and the front office and everybody upstairs show love. Obviously, it’s a business, but they do a great job of being more human, being able to talk to you about different things.”
That’s why Jackson hopes the end of this contract is not the end of his time with the Giants.
“It’s always unfinished business when you don’t win anything,” Jackson said. “I would love to be here — keep grinding, developing and bringing a winning culture here — but if that doesn’t happen I’m not going to be mad. It might hurt. That’s the natural human tendency, even when I got released from Tennessee. But the show goes on, life goes on ... so I don’t stress too much about things like that.”
It would’ve been an easier decision to retain Jackson after last season, when he performed like a No. 1 cornerback both before and after missing seven games due to a knee injury.
“I feel like I’ve played well,” Jackson said. “Covered some of the best receivers, held my own, made a lot of plays last year and this year. We just aren’t winning — that’s the biggest difference.”