49ers place Drake Jackson on a season-ending injury list

AP Pro Football Writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers placed defensive end Drake Jackson on a season-ending injury list in the latest setback for the team’s 2022 second-round pick.

Jackson was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list on Thursday, clearing a roster spot and forcing Jackson to be shut down for the entire season.

Jackson injured his knee last season and was placed on injured reserve in November. He had a setback in his recovery and underwent surgery in January. He was unable to practice at the start of training camp and was put on the active/physically unable to perform list. But ultimately the Niners decided he wouldn’t be healthy enough to play this season and shut him down.

Jackson was used as a part-time edge rusher in his two seasons but failed to make a major impact on San Francisco’s defense. He had three sacks and 16 quarterback pressures as a rookie playing mostly in passing situations.

He had three sacks in the season opener at Pittsburgh last season but did little else in his final seven games before getting hurt with no more sacks and just nine pressures in that span.

The Niners signed safety Tracy Walker III to a one-year deal to fill Jackson’s place on the 90-man roster.

Walker was originally drafted by Detroit in the third round of the 2018 draft. In six years with the Lions, he had 375 tackles, 23 passes defensed, four sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles in 79 games.

He started six games last season and appeared in all 17 contests for Detroit. He had 57 tackles, two passes defensed, one sack and one forced fumble.

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