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The New York Giants signed a Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl winner to compete for a niche role on special teams.
John Harbaugh established his reputation as an expert on special teams and he’s already reshaping football’s third phase for the New York Giants after signing a Super Bowl champion from the Seattle Seahawks.
The move was confirmed by NFL transactions on Friday, February 13, that “show Seattle has re-signed Jalan Gaines, who was with team in camp this year, and that Courtney Jackson, who was on Seattle’s practice squad through the Super Bowl, is now with Giants,” per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.
Jackson’s arrival was also reported by KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson. He noted how adding the wide receiver who also spent time on the practice squad for the Denver Broncos in 2024, is designed “to bolster return game.”
As an opener to Harbaugh’s Giants rebuild, offering Jackson a reserve/futures deal makes sense. It’s the latest development in a radical overhaul of the special teams that also involved jettisoning coordinator Michael Ghobrial, who found a new home after being replaced by former Ravens assistant and Harbaugh favorite Chris Horton.
One of Horton’s main tasks will be to supercharge a return game that has promised more than its delivered in recent seasons.
Courtney Jackson First Move for Changing Special Teams
Signing Jackson is a hit and hope move. The Giants have acquired an intriguing athlete with the potential to provide some splash plays in a niche area.
Game-breaking contributions were in short supply in the return game last season. When Big Blue averaged just 8.6 yards returning punts and 27.7 returning kickoffs, per Pro Football Reference.
One-time All-Pro Gunner Olszewski handled most of the return chores, but the former New England Patriots standout wasn’t scaring anybody in 2025. He’s also a pending free agent, so now is the time for the Giants to change things.
Perhaps Jackson could inspire change after he “averaged 14.0 yards on 40 collegiate punt returns, and 20.3 yards on seven kickoff returns” during his collegiate days at Arkansas State and Syracuse, according to Ed Valentine of SB Nation’s Big Blue View.
Giving Jackson a chance to impress during offseason workouts and training camp is a low-risk idea with a potentially high reward. If it doesn’t work out, the Giants won’t be short of other viable ways to boost their return game.
Giants Have Options to Juice Return Game
Harbaugh and Horton have a solid track finding solutions to enhance their team’s return capabilities. Unheralded players like wide receiver Devin Duvernay, who became a two-time Pro Bowler returning kicks in Baltimore, showed the process at work.
The Ravens also gave undrafted running back Keaton Mitchell a chance to remake himself as a return specialist last season. Mitchell responded by averaging 27.7 yards after handling kickoffs, four yards better than Olszewski.
Some players on the Giants roster have the potential to tread a similar path. Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. is a notable example because he possesses the breakaway speed to be more of a factor on special teams.
Making momentum-shifting plays in the third phase of the game is how a team develops an X-factor. The Ravens had one for years after hiring Philadelphia Eagles special teams boss Harbaugh as head coach back in 2008.
He’ll make a similar commitment at MetLife Stadium by leaving no stone unturned in the hunt for special-teams playmakers.
James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko
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