The Buffalo Bills love a good reunion.
Under general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott, the team has shown a willingness to bring back former players for second or even third tours of duty.
That latest example is cornerback Dane Jackson, who signed a one-year contract last week after spending the 2024 season with the Carolina Panthers.
“They reached out to my agent first, so just them calling me and telling me that they were interested again, it was definitely exciting for me,” Jackson said in a phone interview with The Buffalo News this week.
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Bills cornerback Dane Jackson is back for a second tour of duty with the team. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
The Bills used a seventh-round draft pick on Jackson in 2020 out of Pitt, and he exceeded expectations by playing in 52 games, with 28 starts. He recorded three interceptions, 28 passes defended, two forced fumbles and 152 total tackles for Buffalo.
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The Panthers gave him a two-year contract worth up to $8.5 million, but he was released after just one season. A hamstring injury kept Jackson off the field for the first six games, and when he returned, he played mostly as a slot cornerback, a different role than the one he filled in Buffalo. He allowed a 123.6 passer rating and 75.9 completion percentage in coverage, appearing in nine games with three starts. He made 23 tackles and two passes defended.
“It was a good experience for me, good to experience a new team, a new culture, new everything,” Jackson said. “Stuff didn't work out the way we wanted it to or I planned it to work out down there, so it brought me back here.”
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“I feel like I can definitely help. This team reminds me, I remember when we were in Cincinnati, we had that Super Bowl run,” Ogunjobi said. “The defense is very similar to what I played in Cincinnati. The success I had in Cincinnati was exciting.”
Jackson said missing such a lengthy amount of time with a significant injury was a challenge, especially considering he had never gone through the process as a pro.
“I haven't missed more than two games, maybe, since my senior year of high school,” he said. “I pride myself on being available and ready for whatever the coaches need me to do, so me not being able to do that set me back a little bit mentally. It had me thinking it a little bit. That was the toughest thing for me.”
The terms of Jackson’s one-year deal with the Bills have not yet been released, but coming off a down season, it is unlikely the team had to pay a big premium. Rather, it is a good opportunity for both sides. The Bills add depth at a position with a player the coaching staff trusts, while Jackson, 28, gets to rebuild his value with another crack at free agency in 2026.
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“I can't be comfortable because of the nature of our business, but it's a great feeling coming back to something you're so familiar with,” Jackson said. “Me coming back and knowing the standard here, knowing the culture here, it's only right that I try to bring more than I brought last time.”
Jackson returning to the Bills will reunite him with safety Damar Hamlin, a childhood friend from their days growing up together in Pittsburgh. Hamlin re-signed with the Bills last week on a one-year contract, and was asked about Jackson during his news conference shortly before the Bills re-signed the cornerback.
“We can call and talk about all of our problems, whether it's football, whether it's girls, whether it's anything,” Hamlin said of Jackson. “He's always there for me, and I appreciate that. So, I've been keeping up with him, and I'm super excited for him to get what he deserves on his journey, as well.”
Cornerback is perhaps the most unsettled position on the Bills’ roster at the moment. The team traded 2022 first-round draft pick Kaiir Elam this offseason after he failed to develop the way the coaching staff hoped he would, and last year’s No. 2 cornerback, Rasul Douglas, remains an unsigned, unrestricted free agent. No. 1 cornerback Christian Benford is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and is staring at a massive contract increase, either from the Bills or another team next offseason.
“We don't play until September, so give us time to work through it,” Beane said last week when asked about the plan opposite Benford. “Things change. People pay, usually in that position, somebody may have paid a corner that makes another one expendable at some point, so we will continue to monitor, not only that position, but other positions. Right now, it's about building competition and depth across the roster before we get to the draft.”
That explains the addition of Jackson, who earned the coaching staff’s trust in his first four seasons with the Bills.
“My ultimate decision for me coming back was being familiar and comfortable,” he said. “Based off my situation last year and how things played out for me, I wanted to be somewhere that I could relate to.”
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