The Philadelphia Eagles and unrestricted free agent defensive tackle Malik Jackson are finalizing a contract, a source tells ESPN’s Josina Anderson.
Im told unrestricted free agent DT Malik Jackson is expected to sign with the #Eagles, per source.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 11, 2019
Nearly half-an-hour before Anderson reported the news, a source told Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio that Jackson was closing in on a deal, with the Eagles and the Green Bay Packers being the front-runners.
Hearing that former Jags DL Malik Jackson is close to a new deal, with Green Bay and Philly as the primary options.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 11, 2019
ESPN’s Adam Schefter hears that the deal will last three years and pay Jackson approximately $30 million, which comes out to an average annual value of $10 million.
Malik Jackson's deal in Philly is expected to be for three years, $30 million — an average of $10 million per year, per source. https://t.co/z6twxnRWlW
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2019
Jackson signed a six-year, $85.5 million contract with the Jaguars in 2016, but the team released him just three years in. He heads to the NFC where he will join an already-dominant defensive line.
Jackson, a fifth-round selection of the Denver Broncos in 2012, started just 10 of the 16 games he played in last season, marking the first time since 2014 that he did not start all 16 games. The former Pro Bowler defended one pass last season while making three-and-a-half sacks and 32 tackles. 2018 also marked the first time since his rookie year in 2012 that Jackson did not force or recover a fumble.
The reason the Tennessee product, now 29, was eligible to sign before the tampering period kicked off was that he was released during the 2018 free agent. Otherwise, if his contract had expired at the end of the league year, he would have had to wait until the legal tampering period, which opens not too long from now.
Jackson is sure to have an immediate impact in an Eagles organization that has been busy this offseason preparing for another playoff run.
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