Super Bowl Champion Defensive Lineman Announces Retirement After 10 Seasons in NFL

By Brian Jones

The NFL veteran defensive lineman is done playing football. Last week, Malik Jackson announced his retirement from the league on the NFL Network show Good Morning Football. Jackson did not play during the 2022 season and said on the show that reached a big goal that most players aren't able to do. 

"That was the goal. 10 to 12 years was my goal," Jackson said, per NFL.com. "I was able to get to a point where I was doing OK. I was doing pretty well for myself. I did enough. I have a daughter, and I need to go home and be with her and start living life."  

Jackson, 33, was selected by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft after playing college football at USC and Tennessee. He was with the Broncos for three seasons and helped the team win the Super Bowl during his final year in 2015. In March 2016, Jackson signed a six-year, $85.5 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars and reached the Pro Bowl in 2017 after posting 40 tackles, eight sacks and three passes defended. 

In March 2019, Jackson was released by the Jaguars due to salary cap issues but quickly signed a three-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson was cut by the Eagles in March 2021 and signed with the Cleveland Browns later that month. In his one season with the Browns, Jackson recorded 25 tackles, half a sack and four passes defended. Jackson played in 142 career games with 89 stars and tallied 292 tackles and 35.5 sacks. 

Along with talking about his retirement, Jackson shared his thoughts on Browns star defensive lineman Myles Garrett since he played with him in 2021. "Myles was a young player and I don't think his leadership skills were the best at that time but as he's gotten older he understands what it takes, and he has had a lot of guys around him to show him what he needs to do," Jackson said, per Heavy. "I think he needs to take that bull by the horns and just lead more by example as far as in the classroom because we all know what he can do on the field but to be able to go in the classroom, command that respect, and tell guys what to do is really where I think he really needs to take that jump."

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