The Jacksonville Jaguars secure depth with returner DeeJay Dallas and Matt Dickerson to bolster the defensive line, signaling strategic moves ahead of free agency.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have re-signed defensive lineman Matt Dickerson and return specialist DeeJay Dallas, the team announced Monday.
Running back DeeJay Dallas carries the ball as the Jaguars host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, at EverBank Stadium. (Morgan Tencza/Imagn Images)While these signings of backups appear a matter of course, they provide some measure of insight into the Jaguars' plans as the NFL calendar nears free agency in early March and the 2026 draft in April.
Dallas appeared in three games with the Jaguars last season after signing with the team on Dec. 16. The six-year NFL journeyman came to Jacksonville from the practice squad of the Carolina Panthers, with whom he'd had an up-and-down season, working mostly as a return specialist.
DeeJay Dallas (20) gets tripped up on the opening kickoff return as the Jaguars host the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Stadium, on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7, capturing the AFC South title. (Corey Perrine/Imagn Images)Fourth on the running back depth chart for the Jags, after starter Travis Etienne Jr., and then-rookies Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr., Dallas had two carries for 21 yards -- one a 17-yard gain -- in Week 17 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Dallas stepped into the gap after Tuten was ruled out for the Colts game after undergoing surgery for a finger injury he'd suffered against the New York Jets in Week 15.
"When it comes to injuries over the course of the season, I think that provides opportunities, opportunities to showcase depth and agility and development," general manager James Gladstone said in reference to Dallas' contributions late in the season. "There's a long list of folks that sort of shined when those opportunities presented (themselves)."
Gladstone told reporters in the team's season wrap-up on Jan. 14 that players from the practice squad and deep on the depth chart who are brought up deserve "a ton of credit" for the help they provided when called on.
"The attrition that takes place over the natural course of a season is real, and you’ve got to prepare for it. You don't get to 13 wins unless you have chemistry, you have folks that can step in when voids are created and you don't a feel massive drop-off."
In the final three games of the regular season, the 2020 fourth-round draft pick for the Seattle Seahawks also returned six kicks for the Jags for 180 yards.
Dallas played for the Seahawks through 2023, and afterward was picked up on the free-agent market by the Arizona Cardinals, with whom he spent 2024, before being waived during final roster cuts this past August.
Dallas' career totals include 124 rushes for 538 yards and four touchdowns; 64 receptions for 407 yards and two TDs; 89 kickoff returns for 2,254 yards and a score; and 39 punt returns for 367 yards.
After moving from one team to the next for his first seven NFL seasons, defensive lineman Matt Dickerson (center) settled in with the Jaguars in the last half of the 2025 season. (Corey Perrine/Imagn Images)Elevated from the practice squad on Nov. 15, ahead of Week 11's home game versus the Los Angeles Chargers, Dickerson played through the Jaguars' eight-game win streak, starting in the final four regular-season contests.
He totaled 10 tackles (one for loss), two quarterback hits and one pass defensed, and was a part of the NFL’s top-ranked run defense, which allowed just 85.6 rushing yards per game. Dickerson also recorded a pair of tackles in Jacksonville’s wild-card loss against the Buffalo Bills.
An undrafted free agent in 2018 out of UCLA, Dickerson spent three seasons with the Titans, before bouncing around to the Atlanta Falcons (2022), Kansas City Chiefs (2023), and Miami Dolphins (2024-2025) -- shifting from practice squads to active rosters depending on need for several teams.
The 6-foot-5-, 290-pound San Francisco native signed on as a practice player with the Jaguars in August 2025.
Dickerson has totaled 52 career tackles (four for loss) and five quarterback hits.
ㅤ
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!