SANTA CLARA — Drake Jackson’s second NFL season began last year with three quarterback sacks in the 49ers' Week 1 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 49ers had high hopes for Jackson being able to complement Nick Bosa and give the team a strong one-two outside pass rush.
However, since the 2023 NFL season opener, Jackson has experienced nothing but misfortune.
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Jackson played seven more games last season without a sack while battling knee and quadriceps issues. He was placed on injured reserve and underwent surgery to repair a left patellar injury.
Although Jackson told NBC Sports Bay Area in February he would be ready to participate in the offseason program, his rehabilitation apparently did not go as planned.
On Thursday, the 49ers placed him on reserve/physically unable to perform. In effect, Jackson’s third NFL season is over before it ever 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 with six starts.
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Jackson, 23, entered the league as a second-round pick (No. 61 overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft out of USC. He appeared in 15 games as a rookie and registered three sacks and an interception.
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