When players say “it’s a business,” it’s not just a cliché-it’s a survival tactic. In the NFL, where the average career barely stretches past three seasons, players learn quickly that loyalty is often a one-way street.
Even for those who’ve earned their stripes, the business side can come knocking without much warning. Just ask Mike Jackson.
The veteran cornerback, now making waves in Carolina, is gearing up for a matchup that’s more than just another game on the schedule. When the Panthers host the Seahawks this Sunday, it won’t just be about playoff implications-it’ll be personal. Jackson was traded away by Seattle back in August, and he hasn’t forgotten how it all went down.
“A bag of chips - a stale bag of chips at that,” Jackson said this week, describing what the Seahawks got in return for him. That’s the kind of quote that sticks. It’s raw, it’s real, and it tells you everything you need to know about how he felt when the Seahawks shipped him off to Carolina.
Let’s rewind. Jackson played in all 34 games over the 2022 and 2023 seasons under Pete Carroll, starting 21 of them.
He was a steady presence on the outside, a guy who’d carved out a role in a crowded secondary. But when a new coaching staff took over in Seattle, things shifted.
Suddenly, Jackson found himself sliding down the depth chart-and he saw the writing on the wall before the ink dried on the trade paperwork.
“I knew they was going to get rid of me,” Jackson said. “One of the coaches brought me in his office.
When I walk in the coach’s office, I’m not gonna lie, I be nosey. So I be looking around and I see the depth chart and they have a rookie they just drafted like fifth - not even fifth-round - like seventh round in front of me.
So at that moment I’m like, OK, they’re going to get rid of me.”
Then came the request to take a pay cut. That’s when it became clear: his days in Seattle were numbered.
Seattle ended up trading Jackson to Carolina for rookie linebacker Michael Barrett, a seventh-round pick who didn’t even last a week on the active roster. Barrett was waived shortly after the deal, re-signed to Seattle’s practice squad, and then released again in September.
He eventually landed with the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions. So yes, Jackson’s “stale bag of chips” analogy isn’t far off.
At the time, the move didn’t raise too many eyebrows. Seattle looked set at cornerback with Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, and Tre Brown all returning.
Linebacker depth was a bigger concern, so flipping a corner for a rookie linebacker made sense on paper. But in hindsight, Carolina clearly came out ahead.
Because Jackson didn’t just land on his feet-he’s thriving. Through this season, he’s been one of the top cornerbacks in the league.
He leads the NFL with 17 passes defended and has three interceptions, including a pick-six. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranks 12th out of 111 cornerbacks overall, and fifth in coverage.
That’s elite company.
And now, the revenge game is here. Jackson will likely find himself lined up across from Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who currently leads the NFL in receiving. It’s a marquee matchup-one of the league’s hottest corners against its most productive receiver, with a little extra motivation baked in.
Jackson’s story is a reminder of how quickly things can change in the NFL. One minute, you’re a starter in Seattle.
The next, you’re being traded for a rookie who won’t make it out of training camp. But the league has a way of rewarding those who keep grinding.
Jackson didn’t sulk-he balled. And this weekend, he’ll get a chance to show the Seahawks exactly what they gave up.
In a league where the business side is always lurking, Mike Jackson is proving that the best way to respond is to let your play do the talking. So far, it’s been loud and clear.