The Facts: The Buccaneers have met with Jackson this offseason, but no plans have been revealed about his future. Jackson, who recently turned 34, is finishing up the final year of a five-year contract worth $55.5 million and will become an unrestricted free agent March 9. There is a possibility that he retires, having finished the last two seasons on IR with knee injuries. "We did have conversations with Vincent," GM Jason Licht told reporters at the NFL combine Wednesday. "In my mind, in HC Dirk [Koetter's] mind, in the owners' minds, he'll be a Buc for life."
Diehards Line:
Koetter echoed Licht's sentiments about the three-time Pro Bowler, who produced three straight 1,000-yard seasons in Tampa and six in his entire career. He currently has 4,326 receiving yards as a Buccaneer, the third-most in franchise history. He was also named Buccaneers Man of the Year in 2013, 2014 and 2015. As ESPN.com's Jenna Laine suggests, it seems unlikely that there will be much of a market right now for Jackson, given his age, the injuries the last two years and his declining production. In the five games that he was healthy for last year, he struggled, catching 15 passes for 173 yards. With or without Jackson, the Bucs made it very clear that they are looking for receivers in Indianapolis and when free agency gets underway next week. They currently have about $68 million in salary cap space and need to find more explosive weapons on offense.