Former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Mike Jackson just delivered a brutally honest take on how his Seattle tenure ended, saying the team basically dealt him for “a bag of chips, a stale bag of chips” before Seattle heads to Carolina for a December 28 matchup. His comments were captured by Joe Person of The Athletic.
Jackson’s quote is funny on the surface, but it’s also a mini-masterclass in how NFL teams quietly move veterans off the board without ever saying the words out loud. You don’t get told “you’re done.” You get signals: a new name penciled ahead of you, a conversation that suddenly turns into “flexibility,” and a contract tweak that feels less like a reward and more like a countdown clock. From Seattle’s standpoint, it’s the harsh side of roster-building they’ve leaned into for year, turn the bottom half of the depth chart over, chase younger upside, and trust the pipeline to replace yesterday’s reliable snaps with tomorrow’s cheaper ones. The problem is when the “replaceable” guy lands somewhere else, starts, and makes the decision look like a gift to the other team. That’s why this one has juice: the Seahawks aren’t just playing the Panthers on December 28,they’re seeing a former starter who clearly believes Seattle tried to fade him out before they shipped him out.
Seahawks’ Former Corner Explains the “Writing on the Wall”
Jackson didn’t just crack a line; he explained the moment he knew Seattle was moving on.
Jackson said a coach brought him into the office and he noticed the depth chart had a newly drafted rookie listed ahead of him. Then came the pay-cut moment, another neon sign, in his mind, that the Seahawks were preparing to cut ties.
That detail tracks with what happened in Seattle in 2024. After the Seahawks put a tender on Jackson, he later agreed to a revised deal that lowered his 2024 base salary to about $1.055 million (with a small signing bonus), a move that created roughly $1.9 million in cap breathing room.
What It Means for the Seahawks Now
From a Seahawks perspective, this isn’t just a quote that stings. It’s a reminder of how quickly a “solid depth piece” can become expendable, especially at corner, where Seattle has routinely churned the room.
Seattle eventually traded Jackson to Carolina on August 22, 2024, flipping him for rookie linebacker Michael Barrett.
The awkward part: Jackson didn’t go to Carolina to sit. He went there and instantly played like a true starter, exactly the kind of outcome that makes these trades feel louder in hindsight.
The Part Seahawks Fans Won’t Love: Jackson Turned It Into a Payday
Jackson didn’t just survive the move; he cashed it in.
Carolina re-signed him to a two-year, $10.5 million deal, and the team’s own announcement highlighted just how massive his role became: 1,205 defensive snaps (99%) with two interceptions and 76 tackles in 2024.
So when Jackson says Seattle treated him like a throw-in, Seahawks fans can hear the subtext: he thinks he proved them wrong—and he’s about to see them again on the field.
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