Are the Detroit Lions planning to move on from cornerback Jerry Jacobs, or will they re-sign the hyper-competitive defender?
Detroit Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs has been one of the best success stories over the past three years. Jacobs went through a ton of adversity before his professional career even started, and when he landed in the NFL, the odds were stacked against him. But with an attitude and commitment that just wouldn’t quit, Jacobs incredibly found his way onto the Lions’ roster and as a regular contributor. He even overcame a torn ACL in his rookie season.
But as the Lions enter a new phase as Super Bowl contender, they’re clearly looking to upgrade their roster across the board. And that may mean moving on from a player who has displayed everything that they’re about in terms of perseverance and grit.
Let’s take a closer look at Jacobs’ future in Detroit with our latest Lions free agent profile.
Here’s a look at our previously written free agent profiles: QB Nate Sudfeld , FB Jason Cabinda, TE Zach Ertz , WR Josh Reynolds , OG Graham Glasgow , OG Halapoulivaati Vaitai , OG Jonah Jackson , OT Dan Skipper . EDGE Romeo Okwara , DT Tyson Alualu , CB Emmanuel Moseley . CB Will Harris , WR Donovan Peoples-Jones , and K Michael Badgley .
Jerry Jacobs
Expectations heading into 2023
In 2022, the Lions secondary struggled, but Jacobs was a relative bright spot on the team. Eventually, he won a starting role over Amani Oruwariye, and for the entire 2022 season, Jacobs allowed just a 55.0 completion percentage and 74.9 passer rating in eight total starts. He was physical in his gameplay, sticky in coverage, and completely fearless in the run game.
But at the same time, it was clear the Lions were entering the 2023 offseason with a mission to upgrade their cornerback room. They traded away Jeff Okudah, signed both Emmanuel Moseley and Cameron Sutton in free agency, and bolstered their nickel spot—a position some believed Jacobs could play—by drafting Brian Branch and signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Jacobs’ roster spot was never in question for 2023, but he would have to fight like hell to keep his starting role.
Actual role in 2023
Note: PFF grades combine regular season and playoffs and reflect a minimum 20% snaps at that position
Regular season — 15 games (12 starts): 55 tackles, 8 passes defended, 3 INTs, 2 TFLs
- 62 special teams snaps
Postseason — 0 games (injured)
PFF defensive grade: 57.1 (96th out of 132 CBs)
PFF coverage grade: 54.5 (103rd)
PFF run defense grade: 70.8 (34th)
PFF tackling grade: 48.6 (95th)
Without a doubt, it was a frustrating year for Jacobs. He allowed a career-high 66.2 completion percentage and 107.8 passer rating. He struggled early in the season—adjusting to a zone-heavier scheme early in the season—and to keep his mental health right, he logged off of social media completely .
Things looked hopeful in the second month of the season when he tallied three interceptions in two games, but it wouldn’t last much longer. Jacobs’ struggles eventually returned to the point where he was benched in favor of Khalil Dorsey and midseason-addition Kindle Vildor. Eventually, he finished the season on injured reserve, missing all three postseason games.
That said, Jacobs remained a dog in the run game, showcasing his fearless attitude on the field.
Outlook for 2024
Contract status: Restricted free agent
Jacobs enters the offseason as a restricted free agent. That means, since Jacobs went undrafted, the Lions could offer a “right of first refusal” tender—a one-year, $2.985 million contract—that would allow them to hold his rights. If the Lions use that option, Jacobs could seek another deal elsewhere, but it would give the Lions the option to match the best external offer Jacobs gets.
If Detroit opts not to tender Jacobs, he simply becomes an unrestricted free agent when the new league starts on March 13.
UPDATE: The Lions will reportedly not be offering Jacobs an RFA tender.
The case for keeping Jacobs
Jacobs embodies everything about the Lions’ current culture, and he’s a prime example of hard work and dedication leading to playing time. The Lions have shown a lot of loyalty to players like that, and his grittiness in the run game is certainly still valued here. Take, for example, the Lions’ new defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend:
“If you won’t tackle, you won’t play,” Townsend said at the NFL Combine last week, per the Detroit News. “That’s it. If it’s on the tape you won’t tackle, you can’t play. Ultimately, I’m just looking for guys that don’t shy away from contact, that’s willing to throw it there.”
The Lions should prioritize upgrading their starters at outside cornerback, but they can’t ignore depth, either. Jacobs is a capable reserve cornerback who won’t rock the boat, will continue to work hard, and knows the defense. We know the Lions prefer to retain guys they know and trust, and Jacobs fits that bill. And while Jacobs had a tough year, his past tells us that he’ll do everything in his power to bounce back.
The case for letting Jacobs walk:
2023 was a step back, and a pretty significant one. Detroit’s cornerback room struggled mightily, and Jacobs was, simply put, part of the problem. The fact that Dorsey and Vildor finished the season higher on the depth chart is very telling.
While Jacobs is certainly a culture fit, coach Dan Campbell noted after the season was over that the standard for the roster is now higher, and they’re going to have to move on from some players who may have the heart, but don’t quite have the physical skills they need to compete at the highest level.
“The more success you have with these players, the more attached you get,” Campbell said. in January. “And you’ve got to be careful you don’t get blinded and that’s hard, that’s hard to do. You’ve got to see it for what it is, step back and make sure the player is producing and is capable of producing at a high level, and take your emotions out of it.”
Jacobs is a great story and has the mentality of an NFL-level competitor, but is he still capable of producing at a high level? It’s hard to say with confidence that the answer to that is yes.
The Lions are also re-signing Emmanuel Moseley , making Jacobs’ path to the 53-man roster a little more difficult, considering there are likely at least a couple more moves expected at the cornerback position this offseason.
Is there interest from both sides?
It wasn’t hard to sense from Jacobs that 2023 was a frustrating year for him, and understandably so. He’s a player that has been widely praised by this staff, yet was benched during the most important stretch of the season. He’s been on and off social media, occasionally posting cryptic messages that certainly could be interpreted as discontent, and his overall frustration was palpable in the locker room.
You have to be careful in this business not to read too much into social media posts, but on Tuesday, Jacobs posted a pair of tweets that seemed to be a proverbial turning of the page on his time in Detroit.
You must make a decision that you are going to move on from , it won’t happen automatically you will have to rise up and say I don’t care how hard this is I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me I’m moving on with my life…
— Jerry Jacobs (@_luhjerry) March 5, 2024
The second tweet, now deleted, was a little less ambiguous.
“No matter what happens over the next few weeks I know what I’m capable of(,) nobody won’t stop this shit(.) I came in this league with nothing ima remain humble and stay on top(,) better days awaits.”
Jacobs is good enough to be on the Lions’ 90-man roster, and at this point, he’s good enough to be on their 53-man roster. In the past, they’ve shown loyalty to players like Jacobs, and it’s gotten them this far.
But it’s hard to say what kind of contract he’s earned, and if Detroit is serious about heavily upgrading their secondary, it may be time to move on from Jacobs.