The Los Angeles Chargers need to find some stability at cornerback. This was the main reason the team brought in free-agent cornerback Donte Jackson this offseason. Is Jackson going to be an All-Pro and transform the position in LA? It's unlikely, as he has never done that in any of his previous seven seasons in the NFL.
But he is solid in coverage and is coming off arguably his best season in the league. His quarterback rating allowed in 2024, when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was a career low of 69.9. He also has a career high of five interceptions. Creating turnovers has been one of the best parts of his game throughout his career.
But another excellent thing about Jackson is that he will likely stay healthy. He played in only nine games in 2022, but in the last two seasons, he has missed a total of three games. This is important because Jackson appears to be taking the spot of Chargers free-agent corner Asante Samuel, Jr.
Donte Jackson is wearing Asante Samuel, Jr.'s old number with the Los Angeles Chargers
This is evident in the fact that Jackson will wear jersey number 26 with LA. This was first announced in a tweet from the X handle NFL Jersey Numbers on April 1. But before we begin thinking that maybe the post was an April Fool's joke, what confirms the information is that a fan can buy Jackson's number 26 jersey on the official Chargers online store.
Los Angeles Chargers DB Donte Jackson (@officialdontej) is wearing number 26. Last assigned to Asante Samuel. #BoltUp pic.twitter.com/b6PUH5jYUZ
— NFL Jersey Numbers (@nfl_jersey_num) April 2, 2025
Why is Jackson's wearing number 26 significant? That is the number that Samuel wore in his career with LA. If the team has already given his number away, then that means Samuel is unlikely to return to the Chargers.
Jackson's play might not be as high-end as Samuel's. Neither is overly good at bringing ball-carriers down, and both are solid in coverage, but Samuel was a bit more consistent in his stickiness in coverage. His issue was that he only played in four games last year, suffering from stingers. At least, that is the case according to the player.
That injury could affect the cornerback's play well into the future. Moving on from him was the correct choice because LA needed to find a corner they could count on to play week in and week out. Plus, Jackson is a solid player, and one who is more likely to pick passes off than Samuel.
Either way, Samuel's time with the Chargers appears done. He must wear number 26 elsewhere as Donte Jackson now has his number in LA.