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19 August 2025

Dane Jackson Faces Roster Uncertainty After Bills’ Preseason Rout

Injuries to key cornerbacks and a lopsided loss to the Bears put Buffalo’s secondary depth and Dane Jackson’s roster spot under the microscope ahead of final cuts.

The Buffalo Bills' preseason woes hit a new low on August 17, 2025, as they suffered a resounding 38-0 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. With head coach Sean McDermott opting to rest almost all of his starters, the game quickly turned into a spotlight for backups and those fighting for roster spots—a spotlight that proved glaringly harsh for veteran cornerback Dane Jackson.

From the opening whistle, it was clear the night would challenge the Bills' depth. Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams wasted no time orchestrating a 92-yard touchdown drive against Buffalo's second-string defense, setting the tone for a lopsided contest. The Bills' offense, led by Mike White in place of the absent Josh Allen, sputtered in response, losing yardage on three of their first four possessions and never finding rhythm. By halftime, Buffalo had amassed just 37 yards of offense to Chicago’s 371, and the scoreboard reflected the mismatch.

Yet, beyond the numbers, the most pressing subplot centered on Dane Jackson. With the Bills' top cornerbacks on the sideline, Jackson was thrust into a starting role against Chicago’s first-team offense. The results were, by all accounts, difficult to watch. Williams and the Bears' receivers repeatedly targeted Jackson, exploiting mismatches and picking up chunk yardage. The low point came in the second quarter, when Jackson was beaten in coverage for an 11-yard touchdown by Bears wideout Tyson Scott, a play emblematic of his struggles throughout the night.

Jackson’s performance did not escape the attention of the media. Bills reporter Kevin Massare captured the prevailing sentiment, declaring, “You can’t roster Dane Jackson. At least he won’t make the roster.” Such blunt assessments have only intensified speculation about Jackson’s future with the team, especially after a preseason marked by inconsistency and missed opportunities.

But football, as always, is a game of opportunity—and sometimes, misfortune for one player opens the door for another. The Bills’ secondary has been beset by injuries, most notably to first-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston. Sidelined with a leg injury since training camp and absent from practice for weeks, Hairston’s status remains uncertain as the regular season approaches. Head coach Sean McDermott has hinted at the possibility of placing Hairston on injured reserve to start the year, a move that could buy time for his recovery but leave the Bills thin at cornerback.

Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News weighed in on the situation, noting, “[Bills head coach Sean] McDermott left open the possibility of putting Hairston on injured reserve at the beginning of the season. Given that he has not practiced in weeks, it’s not the worst idea to bring him along slowly. The team will want to make sure Hairston is healthy for the second half of the year. It’s unrealistic to think he would be able to contribute much early in the season after missing so much practice time.”

If Hairston is indeed sidelined to start the season, Jackson’s experience could become invaluable—despite his preseason stumbles. Drafted in the seventh round in 2020, Jackson has appeared in 52 games with 28 starts over four seasons in Buffalo. After a brief stint with the Carolina Panthers last season, where he played nine games (three starts) and tallied 23 tackles, Jackson returned to the Bills hoping to reclaim his role as a trusted backup. The team’s recent history underscores the importance of depth: last season, when injuries forced first-rounder Kaiir Elam into action during the AFC Championship game, the secondary faltered under pressure from Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jackson’s main competition for a roster spot appears to be Ja’Marcus Ingram, another cornerback fighting for recognition. Ingram’s late-game appearances during the preseason, particularly against the New York Giants, have raised red flags about his standing. As Skurski observed, “Ingram was in the game very late against the Giants, which is never a good sign for a player on the roster bubble.” For now, Jackson seems to have a slight edge, if only by virtue of experience and the team’s need for stability in a banged-up secondary.

Still, the numbers from Sunday’s drubbing are hard to ignore. The Bills allowed 528 total yards, surrendered 31 first downs, and were outgained by a staggering 348 yards. The Bears’ quarterback tandem of Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent combined for 279 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while the ground game added another 92 yards. Buffalo’s offense, meanwhile, failed to convert a single third down (0-for-8), committed 10 penalties for 96 yards, and lost the time of possession battle by nearly 20 minutes. Frank Gore Jr. was a lone bright spot, leading the team with 50 rushing yards and 31 receiving yards, but even he coughed up a costly fumble.

For Jackson, the challenge now is to bounce back and prove his worth as the Bills prepare for their final preseason test against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on August 23. With roster cuts looming and the status of key players still in flux, every rep and every snap carries extra weight. The coaching staff, led by McDermott, must weigh recent performances against the broader context of injuries and the team’s need for reliable depth.

It’s a precarious balancing act. On one hand, Jackson’s preseason struggles are undeniable. On the other, his experience and familiarity with the Bills’ defensive scheme could be critical if the team faces further adversity in the secondary. The coming days will be telling: will Jackson’s body of work and the team’s injury woes be enough to secure him a spot, or will his rough outing against the Bears prove too costly?

For now, the only certainty is uncertainty. The Bills’ secondary remains a work in progress, and the final composition of the roster is far from settled. As preseason winds down and the regular season looms, Dane Jackson’s journey stands as a microcosm of the challenges facing teams across the league—where past performance, present opportunity, and future potential collide in the unforgiving crucible of NFL competition.

With one preseason game left and roster decisions on the horizon, all eyes will remain on Jackson and the Bills’ battered secondary. The next week could determine not just the fate of a veteran cornerback, but the defensive fortunes of a team with playoff aspirations.