For some summer housekeeping, the Pittsburgh Steelers tried out linebacker Dequan Jackson in addition to Easton Gibbs, signing the latter ahead of Wednesday’s practice. NFL reporter Aaron Wilson shared that tidbit Wednesday night via the league’s transaction sheet.
Undrafted from Colorado State in 2023, Jackson had spent his entire NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He spent last season on the team’s practice squad before signing a Reserve/Futures contract in January. Jacksonville waived him following their rookie minicamp in mid-May.
In the 2023 preseason, Jackson recorded a pair of tackles. Per Pro Football Focus, he logged 32 defensive snaps while playing two dozen more on special teams. He has yet to appear in a regular season game.
Weighing in at 6014, 214 pounds at his 2023 Pro Day, he turned in a respectable 4.66 40 with a 33.5-inch vertical, 9’11” broad, and 7.08 three-cone time. In college, he recorded 322 tackles, including hitting triple-digits in 2022. A playmaker, he notched 27 total tackles for a loss along with 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, both of the latter coming in his final season.
Ultimately, the team decided to sign Gibbs instead. He was brought in to replace LB Tyler Murray, waived/injured with a hamstring injury suffered Tuesday. Gibbs will catch the moving train ahead of the team’s preseason opener Friday night against the Houston Texans. Jackson will remain on speed dial should Pittsburgh or any other team around the league suffer more training camp injuries. The Steelers pro scouting department, led by Sheldon White, is busy this time of year coordinating workouts while scouring the rest of the league for players Pittsburgh could be interested in at cutdowns.
