The 2022 campaign is officially over for Carolina Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson.
On Monday afternoon, the team announced that they have placed Jackson on injured reserve—effectively ending his season. The fifth-year defender sustained a torn Achilles tendon in the Panthers’ 25-15 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night.
Earlier in the day, interim head coach Steve Wilks told reporters how tough of a loss this’ll be not only for the defense, but for the squad as a whole.
“Definitely disappointed,” he said. “But, ya know, guys gotta step up. Keith Taylor. Tae Hayes. All those guys—which they’ve been doing a great job given the opportunity to get in and play. So, it’s gonna be definitely hard to replace that leadership. But on the field, we gotta definitely step up and fill the void.”
Jackson, who’ll be undergoing surgery on his foot, has now been dealt season-ending setbacks in each of the past two seasons. He missed the final five games in 2021 due to a groin injury.
