Breaking news: One of the key players for the Detroit Lions has announced his retirement.
Running back Justin Jackson has retired from the NFL at the age of 27, the team announced Thursday, just 18 days after he re-signed with the Lions. The 2022 Detroit Lions player, a former Chargers reserve who played in 16 games, was vying for the No. 3 RB spot and was presumably also expected to be the team’s main kick returner.
This offseason, the Lions made significant changes to their running backfield. They acquired former Bears starter David Montgomery to replace Jamaal Williams, traded D’Andre Swift, and selected Jahmyr Gibbs with a first-round draft pick. On July 22, they brought back Jackson, whose contract had expired in March, to face off against Jermar Jefferson and Craig Reynolds for the third-string position.
During training camp, Jackson, who scored two touchdowns in 2022, appeared to be the front-runner to win that position. After spending his first four years in Los Angeles, he was selected by the Chargers in the seventh round out of Northwestern in 2018. He finished behind players like Austin Ekeler, Melvin Gordon, and Joshua Kelley in terms of scrimmage yards.
