Tanard Jackson To Enter Rehab Clinic
September 28th, 2010
File this under the category of “Too Little/Way Too Late,” suspended Bucs safety Tanard Jackson has decided to enter rehab to try to clean himself up.
Steve Wyche of NFL.com, who was at the Steelers-Bucs game Sunday, reported tonight that Jackson will try to check himself in to an undisclosed rehab clinic.
Tampa Bay safety Tanard Jackson plans to enter a rehabilitation center in the near future as part of a process to keep on the straight and narrow and to get back into the NFL, a team official told me. Jackson was suspended last week for a year after a third violation of the substance abuse policy.
The Buccaneers plan to stand by the talented safety, whose suspension had a drastic effect on their defense. Without Jackson, Pittsburgh attacked rookie safety Cody Grimm (one of five players featured on NFL.com’s On The Fringe series). Wallace started the Steelers’ offensive onslaught by grabbing a 46-yard touchdown from Batch over the seventh-round draft pick, who struggled tracking the ball.
Not to tear off the scab of an unhealed wound, but why the hell did Jackson wait this long to go to rehab? Joe knows why: This is a desperate attempt to save his career.
Jackson, a free agent after the season prior to his third-strike-and-your-out flunk of a banned substance test, was due to hit the jackpot and make millions.
Now, he’s hoping he can just make league minimum, if he can find a team crazy enough to sign him.
Selfish… stupid… both words apply here.
September 28th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
If he is reinstated into the league, he’ll be under contract to the Bucs for the one, final year of his current contract. Part of the suspension is that the contract is extended for the one year after he returns. That means he’ll either have to be traded or come back to the Bucs and play 1 year for what he was gonna make this year.
September 29th, 2010 at 12:21 am
I hope they trade his a$$.
September 29th, 2010 at 12:31 am
Gatorbuc15:
Who the hell is going to trade for a guy that can’t put the bong down and his next offense he’s gone for good? Tanard Jackson has zero trade value. Sabby has better trade value right now.
September 29th, 2010 at 1:53 am
Very true, but I was really just saying that the bucs need to get rid of him. You didn’t need to tear me a new a$$ hole for saying that man. I’ll admit though that it was stupid of me to say that.
So let me try again: Let’s just get rid of the pot head.
Better?
I just want him to be gone.
September 29th, 2010 at 8:52 am
I agree with you, Joe…well said and deduced.
As far as cutting or trading him, at first I felt this way as well. But upon reflection, I would rather not. He’ll only be 26 when he returns, and if Dominick is smart, he’ll immediately negotiate a minimum contract with behavior clauses…before he can prove himself on the field again.
Tanard Jackson, minus the behavior off the field, is a good player. If we can lock him up for league minimum with the option of cutting him if he screws up again, then it is well, well worth keeping him.
THAT would be a top-notch deal.
September 29th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Pete Dutcher:
Tanard Jackson is a good player you cannot depend on. Not sure how any team can build a starting roster much less a game plan when one of your key cogs, you have no idea one game to the next if he will be on the roster. Remember, one more bad move — provided Goodell lets him back in — and he’s gone for good.
September 29th, 2010 at 9:24 am
Rehab for marjuana? Seriously?
September 29th, 2010 at 9:27 am
That may be the case Joe but I really do hope the kid gets the help he needs whether he is back with this team or not.
September 29th, 2010 at 9:32 am
Tanard made a dumb weak minded mistake .. But all of you need to chill out .. He pissed me off by this but he is still not a 2 time accused rapist like some other famed NFL players ..
Hey maybe he would have been better off .. Only a 4 game suspension ..
September 29th, 2010 at 9:32 am
The liberal, Obama-type Player’s Union will protect Tanard from getting cut or having to take any type of pay cut. That’s what unions are good for – to protect the screw-ups.
September 29th, 2010 at 9:41 am
javto24:
No, Tanard Jackson make three asinine mistakes. He deserves every bit of the crap that is being thrown at him.
September 29th, 2010 at 9:43 am
sunrisejeff:
Of course, Joe is not heartless. Of course Joe hopes the rehab helps, but he — or his agent — should have come to this conclusion (if it actually was needed) a year ago.
September 29th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Cannon:
As Joe wrote, this is a desperate attempt to save his career.
September 29th, 2010 at 10:02 am
I have moved on….have you?
September 29th, 2010 at 10:09 am
booty traps:
So Joe is supposed to ignore this story?
September 29th, 2010 at 10:10 am
Good to hear. He seems like a good guy, hope it works out for him.
The Bucs will own his rights an extra year because of this and would probably renegotiate a very team friendly, low risk contract, for a very good player.
In reality, this could end up being very good for the Bucs. TJax is a real good safety. This gives a bunch of other guys valuable experience (Grimm, Lynch, whoever else they sign in the next couple days) and then TJax comes back next year when they SHOULD be a playoff contender.
The team was NOT making the playoffs this year anyway. 8 wins is probably the best they could hope for with 6+ being a decent goal.
If it doesn’t work out, it will not be much of a risk on the Bucs end as fas salary.
Just trying to look at the positive side. Personally, I thought Grimm didn’t do that bad a job. The TD he was burned on was typical rookie safety: not turning and finding the ball early enough. He’ll learn that.
They have two weeks before Cincy, I am surprised tehy have not signed another safety yet and released Sabby
September 29th, 2010 at 11:42 am
I am glad he is getting help.
We still don’t know for sure that it was pot that he got busted for.
Addiction is an illness, and it has torn countless families apart. Ruined families will always be a bigger shame than ruined secondaries.
Yes, this is his third offense, and that means that the punishment must be severe. But doesn’t it also mean that the guy really can’t help himself?
Before I get blasted for voicing an unpopular opinion, I’m looking at it like it’s a season-ending injury.
As to whether I’d trust him again, I can’t answer that yet.
Good luck, Tanard.
September 29th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Understand and agree with Safety’s compassionate take…However, this is more like a season ending injury from jackassing around and tearing up your knee while waterskiing during the season.
Irresponsible. I can’t, for the life of me, figure out how marijuana is a dangerous drug…But the league rules are what they are, and breaking those rules to the point where you cost yourSELF and your team, and most importantly your FAMILY this kind of embarrassment is stupid, indeed.
I hope TJ gets his head on right…I know people who have been through this and turned their lives around, and known others who learned nothing. We shall see.
September 29th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Tenard who?
September 29th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Can someone explain why TJ gets 1 year off while Braylon Edwards blows a DUI and plays on NFL Sunday night 2 days later?
September 29th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
They are waiting for the legal system, much like they did with Talib last year. Failing the drug test is different.
September 29th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
3’rd time too. I tend to agree more with the Coke Conspirators. Coke will wreak your life. Weed just makes you fat and lazy.
I hope TJack gets straight and comes back next year. The guy is a baller and I would like to see him on the team again. I’m just a sucker, what can I say?