If you asked him, Pittsburgh Steelers CB Donte Jackson might tell you he is having his best season. Not only is he on his first winning team ever and heading to the playoffs for the first time, he’s producing. With five interceptions, Jackson has already set a new career high with three games to go. And he has Pro Bowl CB Darius Slay’s vote to join him in his own first Pro Bowl.
“He’s having an amazing year, man. My boy is having an amazing season,” Slay said on his podcast. “Donte Jackson. He’s out there having a blazing year. I think he has, like, five picks. Hey, you got my vote for being a Pro Bowl, All-Pro player this year, man. I hope you get there. I hope you make it. You should. You’re balling out there.”
The Eagles just trounced the Steelers, and Slay was actually talking about RB Kenneth Gainwell putting Jackson through the spin cycle. But he had to pivot to give Jackson his flowers, respecting the veteran’s game. Conversely, for the first time in his starting career, Slay doesn’t have an interception this year.
The Steelers traded for Donte Jackson this offseason, exchanging WR Diontae Johnson for him with the Carolina Panthers. While Johnson is burning bridges across the eastern seaboard, Jackson is living his best life. Or at least he will be when his back feels better.
While Jackson has his blemishes, he has been an impact player for the Steelers. In addition to his five interceptions, he also has a fumble recovery, giving him six takeaways. Singlehandedly, he is a big reason the Steelers lead the NFL with 30 takeaways on the year.
Jackson remained tied for the fourth-most interceptions in the 2024 season as of this writing. Kerby Joseph and Xavier McKinney share the NFL lead with seven, while Byron Murphy has six. Three other players, including the Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey, share Jackson’s total of five.
In 2022, Minkah Fitzpatrick shared the NFL lead with six interceptions, becoming the first Steelers player to lead the league in a season in about half a century. Donte Jackson has some work to do to duplicate that feat, but he’s now making up for Fitzpatrick’s big-play deficit. Fitzpatrick has now gone 25 consecutive games with an interception, an increasingly concerning dry spell.
But does Jackson even have a prayer of sniffing the Pro Bowl this year? In the AFC, there is Patrick Surtain II, Humphrey, Kenny Moore II, Derek Stingley Jr., Denzel Ward, and Sauce Gardner, among others. His best chance is picking off another pass or two and relying on a strong Steelers finish.
