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Cornerback Jerry Jacobs, a former undrafted success story for the Detroit Lions, announced his retirement from football on Tuesday via Instagram.
Jacobs, 28, started 29 games for Detroit and made 40 total appearances over three seasons (2021-23) after going undrafted out of Arkansas in the 2021 NFL Draft and making the Lions’ 53-man roster out of his first NFL training camp.
In a post that thanked coaches and teammates and concluded with a "farewell" to the "beautiful game," Jacobs wrote that his head has “been everywhere” as he contemplated retirement, but he's “deciding to hang the cleats up and start a new journey.”
Jacobs signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Feb. 2026. The season starts next week.
Added Jacobs, “I fought a good fight and finished my race after 22 years of playing the game.”
In Week 5 of his rookie season, Jacobs made his first of nine starts in the campaign. He suffered a torn ACL in Week 14 and began the next season on the reserve/PUP list, but reclaimed a starting role by Week 11.
He finished the 2022 season with eight pass breakups, one interception, 42 tackles and a sack. In a Week 9 game against the Green Bay Packers, Jacobs verbally sparred with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, telling the reigning MVP to “stop trying me.” Jacobs had a pass breakup with three tackles. Rodgers finished the game with three interceptions and a passer rating of 53.5. The Lions won the game, 15-9, snapping a five-game losing streak and kick-starting a run that nearly earned Detroit a playoff berth.
Jacobs was once again a starter for Detroit to begin the 2023 season. He intercepted Packers quarterback Jordan Love twice during a 34-20 Lions rout in Week 4, then picked off Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young the following week. But he struggled to adjust to the team's spike in zone defense. In Week 15, after his play declined the rest of the season, Jacobs was replaced in the starting lineup by Kindle Vildor. He finished the year with an opposing passer rating of 107.8.
Jacobs was not tendered by Detroit during the 2024 offseason. He remained unsigned until July, when the Los Angeles Rams picked him up during training camp, but he was cut in August and never played another NFL game.
“I always knew it would come to an end one day,” Jacobs wrote, “but never thought [I’d] be making this post this soon."
[email protected]
@nolanbianchi
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Jerry Jacobs, ex-Lions starting cornerback, announces retirement
Continue reading...
Jacobs, 28, started 29 games for Detroit and made 40 total appearances over three seasons (2021-23) after going undrafted out of Arkansas in the 2021 NFL Draft and making the Lions’ 53-man roster out of his first NFL training camp.
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In a post that thanked coaches and teammates and concluded with a "farewell" to the "beautiful game," Jacobs wrote that his head has “been everywhere” as he contemplated retirement, but he's “deciding to hang the cleats up and start a new journey.”
Jacobs signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Feb. 2026. The season starts next week.
Added Jacobs, “I fought a good fight and finished my race after 22 years of playing the game.”
In Week 5 of his rookie season, Jacobs made his first of nine starts in the campaign. He suffered a torn ACL in Week 14 and began the next season on the reserve/PUP list, but reclaimed a starting role by Week 11.
He finished the 2022 season with eight pass breakups, one interception, 42 tackles and a sack. In a Week 9 game against the Green Bay Packers, Jacobs verbally sparred with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, telling the reigning MVP to “stop trying me.” Jacobs had a pass breakup with three tackles. Rodgers finished the game with three interceptions and a passer rating of 53.5. The Lions won the game, 15-9, snapping a five-game losing streak and kick-starting a run that nearly earned Detroit a playoff berth.
Jacobs was once again a starter for Detroit to begin the 2023 season. He intercepted Packers quarterback Jordan Love twice during a 34-20 Lions rout in Week 4, then picked off Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young the following week. But he struggled to adjust to the team's spike in zone defense. In Week 15, after his play declined the rest of the season, Jacobs was replaced in the starting lineup by Kindle Vildor. He finished the year with an opposing passer rating of 107.8.
Jacobs was not tendered by Detroit during the 2024 offseason. He remained unsigned until July, when the Los Angeles Rams picked him up during training camp, but he was cut in August and never played another NFL game.
“I always knew it would come to an end one day,” Jacobs wrote, “but never thought [I’d] be making this post this soon."
[email protected]
@nolanbianchi
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Jerry Jacobs, ex-Lions starting cornerback, announces retirement
Continue reading...
