As a late-round draft pick, Tennessee Titans rookie return man Jha’Quan Jackson wasn’t expected to make an immediate impact this season, but he has quietly done just that. The Titans’ special teams have been the biggest bright spot for the team in 2024, and a large part of it is because of Jackson’s return capabilities.
Jackson is currently third in the NFL in kick returns and 10th in punt returns, leading Bleacher Report to name him the team’s biggest hidden gem a quarter of the way through the season. The article says, in part:
… Jackson, a former Tulane receiver, hasn’t had a prominent role in Tennessee’s offense. In fact, he’s played just a single offensive snap. However, he’s been a difference-maker on special teams, leading the NFL with 131 punt-return yards through the first four weeks. Jackson’s 9.4 yards-per-return average also ranks third among players with at least 10 returns on the season.
With a 26.8 yards-per-return average on kickoffs, Jackson ranks third in that category too.
Jackson has aided the Titans offense by consistently bettering its starting position. Head coach Brian Callahan should soon want to see what the rookie can do with the ball in his hands on offense.
Jackson’s consistent ability to give the Titans a decent starting position is the reason they have been able to put any points on the board at all. If you take away the turnovers and the sacks, the Titans offense might actually be decent and function well enough to win a game, as evidenced in Miami earlier this week.
The Titans got a steal with Jackson. Now they need to fix the rest of the team’s issues so they can look like the team we know they can be.