Former Second-round Pick Visited Pittsburgh Steelers Immediately After Being Released by 49ers

When the San Francisco 49ers cut ties with Drake Jackson, it looked like the cruel end to a once-bright career. A second-round pick out of USC, a pass rusher who once opened a season with three sacks in a single game, suddenly reduced to an injury file and a failed physical. But tomorrow, Jackson walks into the Steelers’ South Side facility with something more dangerous than doubt — belief that his story isn’t finished.

Jackson’s promise was real. In 2023, he ripped through Pittsburgh’s offensive line in Week 1 and finished the day with three sacks, a performance that felt like a star being born. But then came the patellar tendon tear — a career-killer in NFL circles.
By May 9, 2025, the 49ers made their decision: waived with failed physical designation. Twenty-three games, six sacks, one interception. That was the end in San Francisco. The team turned to Yetur Gross-Matos and rookie Mykel Williams, leaving Jackson as another casualty of their 2022 draft class.

Now just 24, Jackson insists he’s fully healed. His rehab is complete, his burst returning, his hunger never gone. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, his comeback tour includes the Jets, Commanders, and yes — the Pittsburgh Steelers. For a Steelers team still trying to rediscover its “Steel Curtain” identity on defense and searching for depth behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, Jackson’s timing may be perfect.

For Pittsburgh, it’s a look. For Jackson, it’s survival.

49ers fans are already flooding X with messages of regret: “He had the tools.” “Still rooting for you.” But the wider league knows the truth: patellar tendon injuries can bury careers. Mike McGlinchey’s long recovery remains the warning.

Tomorrow, as Jackson steps into Pittsburgh’s building, he isn’t just chasing a roster spot. He’s chasing redemption.

If he flashes the burst that once terrorized quarterbacks, the Steelers could hand him a second life. If he falters, his name may drift into the long list of forgotten draft picks.

But for now, Pittsburgh offers something priceless: a door still open. And for Drake Jackson, sometimes that’s all a player needs to turn heartbreak into rebirth.