SANTA CLARA – Drake Jackson’s second NFL season began last year with three quarterback sacks in the 49ers’ Week 1 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 49ers had high hopes that Jackson would complement Nick Bosa and give the team a strong one-two attack from the outside.
However, since the start of the 2023 NFL season, Jackson has had nothing but bad luck.
Jackson played seven more games last season without a sack while battling knee and quadriceps problems. He was placed on the injured list and underwent surgery to repair a left kneecap injury.
Although Jackson told NBC Sports Bay Area in February that he would be willing to participate in the offseason program, his rehabilitation apparently did not go as planned.
On Thursday, the 49ers placed him on reserve/physical disability list, effectively ending Jackson’s third NFL season before it even began.
The 49ers made the move to create a roster spot for veteran safety Tracy Walker, who played his first six NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions. Walker appeared in 17 games last season, starting six times.
Jackson, 23, came into the league as a second-round pick (No. 61 overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft out of USC. As a rookie, he appeared in 15 games and recorded three sacks and one interception.
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