5 riskiest Carolina Panthers jersey purchases in 2021

(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports) Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports) Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore /
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(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports) Donte Jackson /

Donte Jackson – Carolina Panthers CB

Donte Jackson is heading into the most important season of his professional career. The Carolina Panthers could have a potential shutdown cornerback on their hands in the 2018 second-round pick, but much will depend on whether he can stay free of injury for a consistent period of time.

Jackson certainly looked the part when he came back from a toe problem following the bye week.

Building on this in 2021 is of critical importance, but Jackson has some impressive players now alongside him in the secondary in the form of free-agent signing A.J. Bouye and No. 8 overall selection Jaycee Horn out of South Carolina.

That being said, there are a couple of reasons why buying Jackson’s jersey is a risky proposition for fans this season.

Firstly, he is out of contract in 2022 and it remains to be seen whether the Panthers are going to shell out big money the player should command with another progressive campaign of production.

They’ve let the likes of James Bradberry and Josh Norman go in the past. But moving forward without Jackson is a huge call to make.

The second element to consider is a possible number change for Jackson somewhere down the line. The former LSU star wore single-digits in college and might revert back to this depending on the finances involved.