That, of course, is true. Pro sports rack up billions in revenue each year. In many cases, the results in quarterly reports are just as important as the results on the field. And those things go hand in hand as well, as a better product generally leads to more fan interest, thus more ticket and merchandise sales.<\/p>\n
Part of the \u201cit\u2019s a business\u201d mindset athletes have with their sport serves as a reminder to not take a team\u2019s decisions personally. Teams are looking to make the moves they feel will make them better. Sometimes that means even the most beloved of players can see their tenures end due to poor performance or a salary that exceeds their production. But oftentimes it\u2019s the lesser-known players who find themselves on the end of business decisions that leave them looking for a new team or see them shipped off elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Cornerback Mike Jackson found himself being a part of one of those business decisions when the Seahawks traded him to the Carolina Panthers last August, and it appears he may be still holding a bit of a grudge as his Panthers host the Seahawks in a pivotal NFC clash on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cA bag of chips\u00a0\u2013 a stale bag of chips at that,\u201d is what Jackson told reporters<\/a> on Tuesday the Seahawks traded him for.<\/p>\n Jackson seemed to be a casualty of a new coaching staff taking over in Seattle. After playing in all 34 games and making 21 starts over the 2022 and 2023 seasons under Pete Carroll, he was dealt to Carolina in August 2024 for rookie linebacker Michael Barrett, a seventh-round pick by Panthers that year.<\/p>\n Jackson said he saw signs that told him his time in Seattle was coming to an end before the trade happened.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew they was going to get rid of me because one of the coaches brought me in his office. When I walk in the coach\u2019s office, I\u2019m not gonna lie, I be nosey,\u201d Jackson explained. \u201cSo I be looking around and I see the depth chart and they have a rookie they just drafted like fifth \u2013 not even fifth-round \u2013 like seventh round in front of me. So at that moment I\u2019m like, OK, they\u2019re going to get rid of me.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd when they made me take a pay cut, I kind of seen that line. So it was just like, wherever I go, I just know I\u2019m gonna ball.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear which rookie cornerback Jackson was referring to, as Seattle selected Nehemiah Pritchett in the fifth round and D.J. James in the sixth round last year. However, since James was cut about a week after Jackson was traded, it was likely Pritchett.<\/p>\n But to Jackson\u2019s credit, he was right about two things \u2013 the first being the Seahawks traded him for next to nothing.<\/p>\n Barrett was cut just a few days after the trade and signed back to Seattle\u2019s practice squad, but he was released in September and bounced around various practice squads before signing with the UFL\u2019s Birmingham Stallions in October of this year.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting that at the time the Seahawks were in need of linebacker depth and appeared set a corner with Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen and Tre Brown all returning. So it wasn\u2019t a trade many batted an eye at when it went down, but it is certainly one the Panthers were on the better end of.<\/p>\n The other thing Jackson was right about is that he would ball, because Jackson has been among the NFL\u2019s best cornerbacks this season. He leads the league with 17 passes defended and has three interceptions, including a pick-six. Pro Football Focus has him graded 12th among 111 cornerbacks<\/a>, including fifth in coverage.<\/p>\n Jackson\u2019s success in Carolina figures to be put to the test this weekend when he\u2019s tasked with matching up against a receiving corps headlined by NFL leading receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.<\/p>\n More on the Seattle Seahawks<\/p>\n \u2022 Lefko: A bold offseason has Seattle Seahawks on brink of history<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Six Seattle Seahawks secure Pro Bowl selections<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Where Seattle Seahawks\u2019 No. 1 seed odds stand after Week 16<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Are Seattle Seahawks now the NFC favorite? Sheil Kapadia\u2019s take<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0NFL upholds one-game suspension for Seahawks\u2019 Derick Hall<\/a><\/p>\n
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