Adoreé Jackson Added to Active Roster

Fourth-year cornerback's 2020 debut will wait, he won't play Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts.

NASHVILLE – Wednesday was decision day for the Tennessee Titans.

Three weeks after they designated cornerback Adoreé Jackson for return from injured reserve, they had to either add him to the active roster or return him to injured reserve, this time for good. They chose the former.

The team also announced, though, that Jackson will not play Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts in a game that will figure prominently in the race for this season’s AFC South winner.

Jackson was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury on Sept. 14, the day the Titans opened the regular season against the Denver Broncos. On Oct. 21, he was designated for return, which opened a three-week window during which he could practice with the team and allow the team’s medical staff to evaluate his fitness. That three-week window closed Wednesday.

To make room on the active roster, safety Dane Cruikshank was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury.

“We haven't played a game with (Jackson) this year, couldn't tell you what we would be missing or gaining [when he plays],” coach Mike Vrabel said recently. “… Adoree’s been working and been practicing.”

A first-round pick (18th overall) in 2017, Jackson is one of the fastest players on Tennessee’s defense and a capable tackler at his position.

He played 43 games with 39 starts over his first three NFL seasons. He was the first rookie cornerback of the Titans era (1999-present) to start every game and led the team in passes defensed that season with 23. He set a career-high with 69 tackles and notched the only two interceptions of his career in 2018.

In 2019, a foot injury caused Jackson to miss five games, including the final four of the regular season, but he returned to action for the playoffs and appeared in all three postseason contests.

Cruikshank spent the first six weeks of the season on injured reserve and played in two of the last three games. NFL rules allow a player to return from injured reserve just once, which means his season is finished. Cruikshank had one interception, one pass defensed and one special teams tackle in his brief time on the active roster.