Former Chargers, Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson dead at 38

There’s some incredibly sad and tragic news to report from the NFL world. Former San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson was found dead at a hotel in Brandon, FL on Monday afternoon.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson had checked into the Homewood Suites on January 11th and had stayed there until his death. Family members had called police to report he was missing on February 10th, with a formal report filed the following day. Police spoke with Jackson on February 12th and cancelled the missing persons case. No cause of death has been released but there was no apparent signs of trauma or foul play suspected.

Jackson was drafted by the Chargers in the 2nd round of the 2005 NFL Draft but made his breakthrough in 2006 when he turned 27 receptions into 453 yards and 6 touchdowns. While tight end Antonio Gates was Phillip Rivers’ #1 target, Jackson was San Diego’s #1 wide receiver and he earned Pro Bowl honors twice before departing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012. In his first three seasons with the Bucs, he posted three 70+ catch seasons, all for at least 1,000 yards, and 17 total touchdowns during that span. He officially retired in 2018 with 540 receptions for 9,080 yards (a whopping 16.8 yards per reception) and 57 touchdowns. Off the field he won Tampa’s Man of the Year honor four consecutive seasons and as the son of military parents, Jackson had the “Jackson in Action 83” foundation to support military families.

It was just last week that former Chargers head coach Marty Schottenheimer passed away from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease. I’d written then that Schottenheimer’s final road win of his NFL career came against the Seattle Seahawks in 2006. The man who caught the winning touchdown was none other than Vincent Jackson. Here is that play.

Vincent Jackson was just 38 years old.