In a surprising move, the San Francisco 49ers are waiving outside linebacker and former second-round pick Drake Jackson with a failed physical designation, according to ESPN. Jackson is rehabbing a knee injury but is expected to be cleared by training camp, per the report.
The 61st overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Jackson had three sacks, an interception and eight passes defensed while appearing in 15 games during his rookie season. In Week 1 of the 2023 season, he had a whopping three sacks of then-Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett while helping the 49ers record a 30-7 win.
Jackson's season -- and career -- took a major turn seven weeks later, when he suffered a severe knee injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the 2023 season as well as the entire 2024 season. Jackson underwent surgery in January of 2024.
"Anytime you do that type of surgery that he had ... those are big surgeries," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said of Jackson last summer after placing him the reserve/physically unable to perform list. "They're tough to come back from and you never know how they're gonna react. We always know it's a possibility to take a long time and it's taking a long time."
While it appears that Jackson is nearing the end of his recovery, the 49ers obviously decided that it was best to waive him while giving him additional time to find a new team before the start of training camp. If he is healthy, Jackson could be a nice pickup for a team that is looking to add some depth at outside linebacker.
