In our exclusive interview, the former Super Bowl MVP discusses the Arizona Cardinals' future at quarterback, the Cincinnati Bengals' trade for Joe Flacco and much more.
Former Cardinals safety Dexter Jackson believes Kyler Murray is under pressure to perform, having not reached the lofty expectations that come with being a franchise quarterback.
The Cardinals drafted Murray with the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but the 28-year-old has reached the playoffs just once in his career so far. Arizona are 2-5 this season and are 400/1 in the NFL betting to win the Super Bowl.
In our exclusive interview, Jackson also discusses the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ strong start to the season, the Cincinnati Bengals’ decision to trade for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, and his favourite NFL players from his alma mater, Florida State.
What have you made of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so far this season?
Their start has been amazing. I knew they were a great team anyway, but I did not think their record would be this good at this point, especially with the injuries they have had.
They had so many starters on offense out. Mike Evans, Bucky Irving and Chris Godwin have missed time, but the Buccaneers have not skipped a beat.
That’s a testament to their next man up mentality. That’s why it is important for guys to practice hard and be professional. You never know when your number may be called.
It seems to be a different person every week stepping up and making plays in place of those usual All-Pro players. That just shows you what type of depth they have.
It shows their scouting department has continued to get it right with the draft and free agency. So, they did a great job of bringing in good quality backups and getting guys in who believe in ‘team’ instead of ‘me’.
A team that is together achieves more. Once you create that foundation in the locker room, it makes any coach’s job easy.
How good has Baker Mayfield been for the Buccaneers so far this season? Is he among the frontrunners for MVP?
Correct. He is in that MVP conversation. Especially when you consider what he’s dealt with so far in terms of injuries to his teammates.
I just love Baker’s tenacity. He’s a quarterback who loves to win, no matter what it takes.
You see a lot of quarterbacks who just want to pass inside the pocket, and when they have an opportunity to run for a first down in a crucial third and 10, they’ll just choose to throw the ball away. They don’t leave everything on the field.
But Baker is a guy who leaves absolutely everything on the field, week in and week out.
Has Emeka Egbuka’s fast start to his NFL career surprised you?
It really hasn’t.
The reason I say that is because when you look at the last decade, Ohio State’s ability to just produce elite wide receivers has been ridiculous.
You have to tip your hat to Ohio State because they bring in really good young receivers, but they also teach them to be great professional wide receivers. That’s why so many transition well to the NFL.
Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are all making plays at the highest level, so Ohio State definitely does a great job of developing players at that position.
They have been putting out elite receivers year after year, so that’s why I knew Egbuka would be a solid pick. I knew he would be well coached, and he’d be ready to play in the NFL.
He’s been so valuable for the Bucs already by stepping up and producing when veteran guys like Evans and Godwin have had to miss time.
How do you assess the positions of both Jonathan Gannon and Kyler Murray? Are both on the hot seat in Arizona as head coach and franchise quarterback?
For me, Kyler Murray is on the hot seat.
They had high expectations for him, and from my perspective, he hasn’t quite reached the level that was expected of him when the Cardinals selected him first overall.
They gave him a big contract as well. He was the second highest paid quarterback when he signed that extension, and it’s a deal that is suited to quarterbacks such as Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, but he has put up nowhere near the production of quarterbacks like that.
He’s also missed time due to injuries in these last couple of years too.
When you look at the whole picture, sure it could be down to the offensive coordinator, head coach or whoever is calling the plays but from the outside looking in, he has not reached the status of elite quarterback.
They paid him the money, and I feel like they might be kicking themselves.
With his production so far, it makes you want to scratch your head and say, ‘Oh, maybe this wasn’t the right choice.’
What are your thoughts on Marvin Harrison Jr.’s production so far?
He came into the league with a lot of high expectations because of his name and what he did in college. He came in and was very productive. He’s made great plays already.
You have to look at his situation. His starting quarterback in Murray has been injured and inconsistent. And after your starting quarterback goes down, there’s always a drop-off. It could be a number of things though, maybe it’s the play calling, maybe the backup quarterback just isn’t that guy.
Maybe it just takes Murray to come back completely healthy, and we may see who they both really are.
Should the Cincinnati Bengals consider trading Trey Hendrickson for the right haul?
Currently, Joe Burrow is hurt, and the Bengals are underachieving. It’s tough to see them making the playoffs.
It’s tough to lose such a good player, but if they could trade Hendrickson for some draft picks, and free up some money, which will allow them to bring in younger players, that may be the answer.
Plus, I think Hendrickson wants to get out. There were hints of that in preseason, and it’s not stopped, so maybe it’s time for him to go.
He’s still a very productive player, so the Bengals should have the opportunity to gain some good draft capital should they trade him. He’s a four-time Pro Bowler who was first-team All-Pro last year, so they should be able to get at least a first or second-round pick in return.
If the Bengals don’t feel like they can make a run in the playoffs this season, then yes, this is the time to make that trade.
If Hendrickson were to be traded, what would his new team gain?
A team leader and a guy who knows how to bring players together. He can speak off the field, and the way he plays on the field is contagious.
Some players may think they’re playing well, but when they see a Pro Bowl player like Hendrickson prepare through the week and play football the way he does, then they’ll truly understand what playing well looks like.
So, they’d be getting a leader who leaves everything on the field. Every time he’s on the field, you know he’s given everything he has, and that’s the type of person he is.
The turf at MetLife Stadium became a topic of debate again recently after Malik Nabers’ season-ending injury. What are your thoughts on this debate?
People will talk about MetLife, but the bigger issue is turf vs grass.
We did not have so many ankle and knee injuries pre-turf. We had some, but with more teams using turf, there has been an increase in these types of injuries.
Some of these injuries can also be attributed to the way you have to tackle now as you can’t hit people above the waist as much.
But turf is synthetic. It is man-made. Grass will give, but turf will not. A lot of players get their legs stuck, and with grass, it can give with a certain amount of pressure, but turf is made to stay there. So, if your leg or knee gets caught up in turf, it’s going to get snatched.
I used to train high school kids who had college football hopes, and they all wanted to practice on turf.
They used to question why I would make them practice outdoors on grass sometimes, but I was preparing them for the next level. We’re in Florida, and the big colleges here all play on grass outdoors. They used to say that they couldn’t play on grass because they were so used to turf. That’s crazy.
Look at the historic NFL teams such as the Chicago Bears, they play on grass.
These new owners care about things looking good, which is why a lot of them choose turf, but you’re hurting your players.
The NFL owners do need to make that change back to grass.
You’re also taking jobs away from people who specialize in maintaining grass and marking out the football fields. The NFL needs to do right, put grass back on the field, keep it safe for the players and give people jobs. It’s not always about money.
What have you made of the way the Cleveland Browns have handled their quarterback situation this season?
Well, Cleveland has a history of getting it wrong. That’s a safe way to put it. They can’t get it right, or they have a player who goes somewhere else and becomes a star like Baker Mayfield.
I don’t know if they did something wrong in the past, but they cannot get the football decisions right. It goes all the way back to when they fired Bill Belichick years ago.
For Shedeur Sanders, the situation is to keep quiet, be patient and keep working. His time will come in Cleveland.
This is nothing against Dillon Gabriel. He’s not playing great football, but he’s doing what they’re asking him to do. He’s not taking chances. He’s afraid to throw the ball down the field, he’s just making short throws, but that will not get you wins consistently in the NFL.
If I’m a defensive coordinator, I’m okay with giving up those throws because they will not beat me.
Shedeur would bring a different presence to the game. One thing he definitely will bring is fans to seats and eyes to screens. There’s a lot of people who want to see him do well, and there’s a lot of people who want to see him fail.
If he stays patient, continues to develop his game and be a professional, he will get an opportunity to be a starting quarterback.
If he prepares himself for when his opportunity arrives, he can go out there and be successful. He needs to prepare, keep quiet, be a pro and when the time comes, let his play do the talking.
Were you surprised that the Browns traded Joe Flacco within the division?
I was surprised they traded him at all.
You have two rookie quarterbacks. Who is helping to develop those guys?
As an organization, the Browns do not do a good job of developing young quarterbacks, so what better way to develop than having a veteran like Flacco around for them to learn from?
Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes all had to sit, and they turned out pretty good. A lot of these great quarterbacks started off as backups learning how to understand the game.
The Browns should’ve continued to let Gabriel and Sanders learn from a veteran player who understands the game.
Look at what Flacco just did, too. He had a big game for the Bengals, shredded the Pittsburgh Steelers defense and won.
Again, it comes down to the Browns having a way of just not getting it right.
The Tennessee Titans parted ways with Head Coach Brian Callahan. How important is it for Cam Ward’s development that they get their next coaching hire right?
They must get it right.
They had the number one pick in the draft and selected a quarterback who has all the tools.
They are massively underperforming right now, though. I see some guys who are not giving it their all on the field.
They had a very good coach who was let go in Mike Vrabel, and look at what he’s doing in New England. His Patriots and his young quarterback in Drake Maye are playing lights-out football. This just shows it is so important for the Titans to make the right decision when hiring their next head coach.
It’s time to bring in some new blood. The NFL has been recycling the same people over and over again in coaching cycles.
Let’s bring someone else in and give them a shot. Especially if it is someone who is familiar with or runs a similar type of system that Ward came from in college. Simplify it for him and put him in a situation where he is very comfortable.
That doesn’t mean Ward can’t grow in an NFL-type system, but this would be the best and quickest thing for his development right now.
Which former Florida State players do you enjoy watching most on Sundays?
I love watching Jared Verse and Braden Fiske play for the Los Angeles Rams on that defensive line.
They’re young, but it’s so fun watching those guys understand what each other is doing and swarming to the football.
You can tell that they have been playing together for a long time.
The Rams defense deserves a lot of credit for that team’s resurgence, and a lot of that is down to those two guys from Florida State.
The most exciting former Florida State player for me is still Jalen Ramsey. He has that Deion Sanders-type swagger where he knows he’s the man.
He’s got confidence and swagger, so I just love to watch him play and challenge opposing receivers. He’s the ultimate competitor.
He’s a lockdown corner who I will put my money on every time in a one-on-one situation.
This year’s FSU football team has struggled. What have you made of their season so far?
I think Coach Mike Norvell needs to win the rest of the games this year. He needs to win out and win a bowl game because looking around college football recently, a lot of coaches are getting fired.
Norvell really needs to steady the ship as he’s on very thin ice.
He needed a quarterback, so he brought in DJ Uiagalelei, but he wasn’t the guy. Now he brings in Tommy Castellanos, who is exciting, but there are still questions over whether he can be the guy.
Besides the first class where he did get it right with transfers and some recruits, he has missed every time.
He needs to find a way to get the right people in. He said the coaching staff were a problem, so he made changes and brought in great coaching staff.
Gus Malzahn came in as Offensive Coordinator and that offense looked amazing in the first game against Alabama, but success isn’t winning one game, it’s doing it over and over again.
Norvell has not been successful so far at Florida State. He has not been winning over and over again. He’s lost his last nine games in the ACC. I don’t care what conference you are in, you can’t lose nine straight conference games, you just can’t.
Can you see Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown forcing his way out of Philadelphia if his usage doesn’t consistently increase?
I think A.J. is just speaking from a place of frustration. He’s watching other receivers put up big yards every week, but they’re not doing what A.J. has done, which is winning a championship. That’s the ultimate goal.
Yes, there must be some selfishness as a great player, especially as a receiver, you want the ball. But imagine going to a team where you win three games a year, he would lose his mind, trust me. He’d want to be traded again because he’d miss the feeling of winning.
A.J. has to be cautious about bringing toxicity into the Eagles locker room. He does this every year around the same time because he wants the ball.
He wants to be considered one of the elite receivers, which he is, but we live in a world where to be elite, it’s all about yards and touchdowns. People don’t always look at the other things you bring to a team as an elite receiver.
At times, the Eagles are conservative with their play calling, but that’s because they know what they have on defense, and they have a great running back in Saquon Barkley.
That’s the formula for winning championships, running the football and playing great defense. The Kansas City Chiefs did the same thing.
Against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7, they had to take the reins off Jalen Hurts and let him throw the football down the field. Hurts, Brown and DeVonta Smith all had a great game because of this, but the Eagles mustn’t forget Hurts’ strength is not dropping back and passing 40 times.
His strength is play action off the run, so they should keep doing this and not forget their formula for success. Run the football and play great defense.
If A.J. wants to continue to win championships, he should shut his mouth and win. He gets paid like an elite receiver, so he can’t have any complaints about this.
As a player, I can sort of see where he’s coming from, but as a champion, I can’t. Champions will give up a little for the team, but individuals will give up a championship to pad their own stats.
With A.J. not being the focal point of the team, he’s not getting beat up either. His body is being saved, which could prolong his career. It’s a long season. Down the line, if Saquon gets banged up, Brown’s number will be called again.
But while Saquon and the run game are the focal point, Brown just needs to be patient and try not to bring a negative outlook into the locker room.
Cancer kills from within, so A.J. don’t be a cancer in the locker room. Allow your team to do what they do, keep winning and instead of putting things on social media, go talk to your head coach. Men don’t put their dirty laundry out. Go talk to your coach, coordinator or quarterback, and be a man.
Be able to sit down like men and discuss how you feel and how they can implement you into the game-plan. They pay you over $30 million a year, so they’re going to listen to you. Don’t act like a boy in a man’s game.
These new young players are very emotional, and they want to run to social media about everything. But some things shouldn’t be aired out like that.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa recently called out his teammates for missing team meetings. What are your thoughts on Tagovailoa publicly outing his teammates like this?
The pot can’t call the kettle black.
No. 1, he has to stay healthy. Then he has to stop holding the ball for so long.
He complained about the previous head coach and coordinators, so they went and got him a coach like Mike McDaniel, who they thought would help them win.
Honestly, I think McDaniel is a great offensive coordinator, but he is not a head coach. Not everyone is made to be a head coach. He’s a phenomenal offensive mind, but I think he’s trying to blend in and be friends with the players instead of leading.
In order to lead, you must have tough skin and be willing to take the bumps and the bruises.
The Dolphins traded away a lot of vocal players who had some type of fire underneath them, and they brought in offensive players and paid them a bunch of money. Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships. Their defense is one of the worst in the league.
On offense, there’s Tua, who struggles with injuries. Tyreek Hill is also hurt this year, and it just seems like everything is falling apart around them. Your best players are hurt, your quarterback struggles, you trade away players, and people want your head coach fired, so there’s a lot of stuff going on in Miami right now.
The Dolphins are in real trouble. I think it’s time for them to see what assets they can get for some players and rebuild.
At the quarterback position, they drafted Quinn Ewers out of Texas in the seventh-round. I think it’s time to let him start. Put him out there and say, ‘Tua, you’ve been here for years now, and we don’t know if we can rely on you. You’re inconsistent and struggle to stay on the field.’
There are two things great players have to have. Accountability and availability. Tua is not being accountable, and he’s not always available. In order to call people out, you have to play better yourself. You can’t call people out if you’re not playing well.
The only people who have the authority to call people out are players who play well, play hard, stay available and leave it all on the field. Tua is not doing that.
Has New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye proved he is ready to be a franchise quarterback for the next decade?
Drake Maye has entered a lot of conversations this year with his play so far this season. You watch him play and think maybe he is the guy for the Patriots.
It’s very early on, though. We’re not even mid-season yet.
We need to see how he plays when teams have more film on him, and they can game plan a little more for him. We need to see how he responds to these tests before we call him elite.
At the current moment though, he is playing unbelievable football.
The real tests will come in the second half of the season when he has to play divisional rivals for a second time. These matchups will be extremely interesting, and you’ll be able to see how far Maye has developed based on how he deals with these games.
The Dallas Cowboys have been inconsistent so far this season. What is holding them back from being true contenders?
That’s easy, Jerry Jones. He’s the problem. He needs to get out of the way.
Jerry Jones is a ‘me’ guy. It’s all about him. You look at the teams that win, you don’t see their owners a lot, and you definitely don’t see them getting in the way.
The owners hire their head coaches, they hire their personnel and just get out of the way. But Jerry does not get out of the way. Look at the way he ran Jimmy Johnson off.
It’s been 30 years since they won. Think about that. All that money, all that talk about the Dallas Cowboys and how they’re America’s team, but they haven’t won in 30 years.
Jerry Jones, at some point you have to think maybe I need to get out of the way and maybe I’m the problem. They spent a whole lot of money and have had some great players over the last 30 years but still haven’t won a Super Bowl or even been back to one.
Look at the Micah Parsons situation too, Jerry let him go, and he’s still one of the best players in the National Football League.
Are there any current NFL defensive backs that remind you of yourself and why?
My guy in Tampa, Antoine Winfield Jr.
I played in the same era as his dad, Antoine Winfield Sr. We came into the league together and had the same agent too.
The reason I love Winfield Jr. is that he’s not the biggest or fastest guy, but he’s smart, and he plays with heart. He leaves everything on the field.
His play style reminds me of myself. I love the way Todd Bowles allows him to blitz and have that freedom to just go play football.
I love his passion. Some people knocked him in the past saying he was undersized or that he wouldn’t hold up in the NFL, but he plays the game like his hair is always on fire. He’s constantly running and flying around the field to keep that fire put out.
I love the way he plays.
