Report: Panthers defensive back Donte Jackson has torn Achilles, officially done for the season

Carolina Panthers defensive back Donte Jackson was dealt the news on Friday evening that he has torn his Achilles, a source told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The diagnosis was officially confirmed on Friday following an MRI. Of course, the injury means that Jackson will need season-ending surgery and that his 2022-2023 NFL season is finished.

Carolina Panthers veteran defensive back Donte Jackson suffered an Achilles injury on Thursday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons. He was slow to get up from the play and it did not look good, according to reports. According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, he was spotted getting carted through the hallways of Bank of America Stadium and he hopped into the locker room on one foot. He also had the shoe off on his other foot for further medical evaluation.

Jackson was listed on the team’s Thursday injury report this week after he dealt with an ankle injury. He was listed as a full participant in practice on the Panthers’ latest injury report.

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This season, Jackson has snatched two interceptions, while racking up 32 tackles. Carolina defeated the Falcons on Thursday Night Football 25-15. Earlier this season, Jackson snatched a pick-six off Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford to give Carolina a 10-7 lead in that game.

He’s been a pretty solid cornerback over the past few years for the Panthers since he entered the league in 2018. A former track star, Jackson was crowned the SEC champion in the 4 x 100 meter relay in 2017. He served of the leadoff leg of the team–which finished with a 38.71 time in the event. In college, his personal best in the 60-meter dash was 6.63 and his personal best in the 100-meter dash was 10.22. Jackson was named the fastest player in college football during the 2017 season.

With the win on Thursday night, the Panthers moved to 3-7 overall on the 2022-2023 season. They’ll be looking forward to the 2023 NFL Draft, where they can add a number of much needed pieces for their future. It’ll be interesting to see which direction they decide to go in the first round, that’s for sure.