Former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Jackson Meeks has been waived by the Detroit Lions, ending a short but eventful stretch on the active roster for the undrafted free agent.
The Lions announced the move Monday as a corresponding roster transaction after acquiring veteran safety Andre Cisco from the New York Jets ahead of the trade deadline.
Meeks, who had converted to tight end this offseason, had earned a spot on Detroit’s initial 53-man roster after a strong training camp and preseason, but saw only limited action in the regular season—one reception for eight yards across early games—before becoming a healthy scratch.
For Georgia fans, Meeks’ path is a familiar one in the modern era of stacked Bulldog rosters.
A three-star recruit out of Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama, he signed with Kirby Smart’s program and contributed on two national championship teams in 2021 and 2022.
Across three seasons in Athens (2021-23), he appeared in 36 games and recorded 10 receptions for 132 yards while competing in one of the nation’s deepest receiver rooms.
The limited production was less a reflection of talent than of the sheer volume of options around him.
Seeking more opportunity, Meeks entered the transfer portal and landed at Syracuse for his final season of eligibility.
There he exploded, posting 78 catches for 1,021 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, earning second-team All-ACC honors and showing the reliable hands and route-running ability that had been glimpsed in limited snaps at Georgia.
After going undrafted in 2025, he signed with Detroit, spent his rookie year on the practice squad, and then bulked up roughly 25 pounds to make the transition to tight end.
The position switch gave him a clearer path onto the roster, and he delivered in the preseason with productive receiving and special-teams contributions that impressed coaches, including Dan Campbell.
Yet the regular-season reality of a crowded tight-end group behind Sam LaPorta left him with minimal snaps, and the Cisco addition proved the final cut.
Meeks’ release is a reminder of the narrow margins at the bottom of NFL rosters, even for players who have already proven they can contribute when given the chance.
For the Georgia program, it is another data point in the long list of former Dawgs who develop in the NFL after battling for snaps in Athens.
Whether another team claims him off waivers or he returns to a practice squad, the skill set that once thrived in the transfer portal remains intact.
