Darnell Henry Savage Jr. (born July 30, 1997) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

for the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Maryland Terrapins The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's college sports in the United States, varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate ...

, and was selected by the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

in the first round of the

2019 NFL draft The 2019 NFL draft was the 84th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2019 NFL season. The draft was held on April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville. The first round was held ...

Early life

Savage attended Caravel Academy in

Bear, Delaware Bear is a census-designated place (CDP) in New Castle County, Delaware, New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 19,371 at the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census. Originally a small crossroads in a rural area, approxim ...

. He suffered a broken femur during the first game of his junior season. Savage committed to the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the Univ ...

to play

College career

Savage played at Maryland from 2015 to 2018. During his career, he had 182 tackles, eight interceptions, one sack and two touchdowns.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Savage participated in the

Senior Bowl The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...

prior to the draft.

Pro Football Focus Pro Football Focus (also written as ProFootballFocus, and often referred to by its initials, PFF) is a sports analytics company that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA Division-I football in the United Sta ...

ranked him as the second best amongst his position (behind Nasir Adderley) and NFL analyst

Bucky Brooks William Eldridge "Bucky" Brooks Jr. (born January 22, 1971) is an American sportswriter and former professional football player. He played for five National Football League (NFL) teams in a five-year career, primarily as a kick returner. He was ...

had Savage ranked as the third best safety in the draft.

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

analyst Jeff Legwold ranked Savage as the fifth best safety (48th overall) and ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'' ranked him the sixth best (50th overall) amongst safeties. Former NFL executive

Gil Brandt Gilbert Harvey Brandt (March 5, 1932 – August 31, 2023) was an American professional football executive who was the vice president of player personnel in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988. He was indu ...

had Savage ranked seventh (87th overall) amongst all prospects at his position. NFL draft analysts projected him to be a late first to second round pick. His 4.36 in the 40-yard dash impressed NFL scouts at the NFL Combine.

Green Bay Packers

The

selected Savage in the first round (21st overall) of the

. Fearful Savage would not be available at 30th overall, the Green Bay Packers orchestrated a trade and acquired the first round (21st overall) pick from the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

in exchange for a first round pick (30th overall) and two fourth round picks (114th and 118th overall). He was the first safety and defensive back drafted in 2019. He was drafted as the heir apparent to replace Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and

Jermaine Whitehead Jermaine Rasheed Whitehead (born March 12, 1993) is an American former professional football safety. He played college football at Auburn, and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He was also a member of the ...

at free safety. The Seattle Seahawks would go on to trade all three of the picks acquired.

2019

On May 2, 2019, the

signed Savage to a four–year, $12.51 million contract that was fully guaranteed and included an initial

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

of $7.12 million. He entered

training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...

as the ''de facto'' starting free safety under defensive coordinator

Mike Pettine Michael Mark Pettine (born September 25, 1966) is an American football coach who is the assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was the head coach of the Cleveland Br ...

. Head coach

Matt LaFleur Matthew Robert LaFleur ( ; born November 3, 1979) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He has served as the quarterback coach of the W ...

named Savage and Adrian Amos the starting safety tandem to begin the regular season. Darnell Savage 2019

On September 5, 2019, Savage made his professional regular season debut and first career start in the Green Bay Packers' season-opener, recording three solo tackles and a pass deflection in a 10–3 victory at the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

. The following week, he collected a season-high six solo tackles and broke up a pass during a 21–16 win in the Packers' home-opener against the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

. On September 22, 2019, Savage broke up a pass and made his first career interception on a pass attempt thrown by

Joe Flacco Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American professional football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Delaware Fightin' Blue ...

to wide receiver

Emmanuel Sanders Emmanuel Niamiah Sanders (born March 17, 1987) is an American former professional American football, football wide receiver who played for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the SMU Mustangs footba ...

during a 27–16 win against the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

. In Week 5, Savage made one tackle before he had to exit in the third quarter of a 34–24 win at the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

due to an injury. He was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and subsequently missed the next two games (Weeks 6–7). He returned in Week 8 and collected a season-high eight combined tackles (seven solo) in a 31–24 victory at the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

. He finished his rookie campaign in 2019 with a total of 50 combined tackles (38 solo), five pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions in 14 games and 14 starts. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. In their first season under head coach Mike LaFleur, the Green Bay Packers finished first in the

NFC North The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and toug ...

with a 13–3 record, clinching a first round bye. On January 12, 2020, Savage started in his first career postseason game and made five solo tackles as the Packers defeated the

28–23 in the Divisional Round. The following week, he collected eight combined tackles (five solo) during a 20–37 loss at the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

in the NFC Championship Game.

2020

Head coach Matt LaFleur retained Savage and Adrian Amos as the starting safety tandem to start the season. He was inactive for a Week 7 victory at the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...

due to a

quadriceps The quadriceps femoris muscle (, also called the quadriceps extensor, quadriceps or quads) is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the sole extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large ...

injury. On November 29, 2020, Savage made one tackle, two pass deflections, and had a season-high two interceptions off passes thrown by

Mitchell Trubisky Mitchell David Trubisky ( ; born August 20, 1994) is an American professional football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was selected second ...

during the 41–25 win against the

on '' Sunday Night Football''. On December 27, 2020, Savage recorded five combined tackles (three solo), a season-high three pass deflections, and set a career-high with his fourth interception of the season off a pass by

Ryan Tannehill Ryan Timothy Tannehill III (born July 27, 1988) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, playing wide receiver until his junior year, and was selected eighth overall by the Miami Dol ...

intended for A. J. Brown during a 40–14 victory against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

. The following week, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) in the Packers' 35–16 victory at the Chicago Bears. He finished the

2020 NFL season The 2020 NFL season was the 101st season of the National Football League (NFL). The regular season started with the NFL Kickoff Game on September 10, in which defending Super Bowl LIV champion Kansas City defeated Houston. The playoffs were ...

with a total of 75 combined tackles (56 solo), 12 pass deflections, four interceptions, one fumble recovery, and one sack in 15 games and 15 starts.

2021 season

The Green Bay Packers hired former

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

linebacker coach

Joe Barry Joe Barry (born July 5, 1970) is an American football coach who is the linebackers coach and run game coordinator for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). His career includes having served as the assistant head coach and li ...

as their new defensive coordinator. He retained Savage and Adrian Amos as the starting safeties. On December 25, 2021, Savage collected a season-high eight combined tackles (six solo), broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass by

Baker Mayfield Baker Reagan Mayfield (born April 14, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma Sooners ...

to Donovan Peoples-Jones during a 22–25 victory against the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

. He started all 17 games in 2021 and recorded 63 combined tackles (48 solo), nine pass deflections, and two interceptions.

2022

On April 29, 2022, the

picked up the fifth-year option on Savage's rookie contract. Head coach Matt LaFleur opted to retain Savage and Adrian Amos as the starting safeties to begin the regular season. On November 27, 2022, head coach Matt LaFleur benched Savage for the start of a 33–40 loss at the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

after a poor performance the prior week against the

. Immediately after entering the game, Savage injured his foot and exited in the first quarter and subsequently was inactive for a Week 13 victory at the

. On January 1, 2023, Savage broke up a pass, had two combined tackles (one solo), and intercepted a pass thrown by

Kirk Cousins Kirk Daniel Cousins (born August 19, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans football, Mi ...

to tight end T. J. Hockenson and returned it 75–yards for his first career touchdown as the Packers routed the

41–17. He finished the

2022 NFL season The 2022 NFL season was the 103rd season of the National Football League (NFL). The season began on September 8, 2022, with the defending Super Bowl LVI champion 2022 Los Angeles Rams season, Los Angeles Rams falling to 2022 Buffalo Bills sea ...

with a total of 58 combined tackles (43 solo), five pass deflections, one touchdown, one fumble recovery, and one interception in 16 games and 15 starts.

2023

Defensive coordinator Joe Barry retained Savage as the starting free safety and paired him with Rudy Ford following the departure of Adrian Amos. On September 10, 2023, he started in the Green Bay Packers' season-opener at the

and collected a season-high nine combined tackles (five solo) during their 38–20 victory. On October 25, 2023, the Green Bay Packers placed Savage on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

with a calf injury. On December 2, 2023, the Packers activated Savage off of injured reserve after he missed five games (Weeks 8–12). A shoulder injury sidelined Savage for two consecutive games (Weeks 15–16). He finished the season with 51 combined tackles (36 solo) and one pass deflection in ten games and ten starts. He earned an overall grade of 75.5 from

which ranked 15th among all safeties that season. The Green Bay Packers finished the

2023 NFL season The 2023 NFL season was the 104th season of the National Football League (NFL). The regular season began on September 7, 2023, with defending Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City losing to Detroit in the NFL Kickoff Game, and ended on January ...

second in the NFC North with an 9–8, qualifying for a Wildcard position. On January 14, 2024, Savage started in the NFC Wildcard Game and made four combined tackles (three solo), broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass thrown by

Dak Prescott Rayne Dakota Prescott (; born July 29, 1993) is an American professional football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, twice earning first-team ...

to wide receiver

CeeDee Lamb Cedarian DeLeon "CeeDee" Lamb (born April 8, 1999) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners football, ...

and returned it 64–yards for a touchdown as they defeated the

48–32. On January 20, 2024, Savage started his in his last game as a member of the Green Bay Packers and recorded four combined tackles (two solo) and had one pass deflection during a 21–24 loss at the

in the Divisional Round.

Jacksonville Jaguars

On March 11, 2024, the

signed Savage to a three–year, $21.75 million contract that includes $12.50 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $5.00 million.

2024 season

He entered training camp slated as the ''de facto'' starting free safety under defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. Head coach

Doug Pederson Douglas Irvin Pederson (born January 31, 1968) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who was the head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He spent most o ...

named Savage and Andre Cisco the starting safety tandem to begin the season. He injured his quadriceps and was subsequently inactive for three consecutive games (Weeks 2–5). On November 10, 2024, Savage made four combined tackles (three solo), one pass break up, and made his first interception with the Jaguars on a pass attempt by

Sam Darnold Sam Richard Darnold (born June 5, 1997) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans football, USC Trojans, winn ...

to wide receiver

Justin Jefferson Justin Jamal Jefferson (born June 16, 1999) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tiger ...

during a 7–12 loss to the

. In Week 14, Savage made one solo tackle before suffering a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...

and exiting the 14–19 loss at the

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West ...

and was inactive for the following week during 20–13 win against the

in Week 17. He finished with 51 combined tackles (40 solo), six pass deflections, and an interception in 13 games and 13 starts.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

References

External links

Jacksonville Jaguars bioMaryland Terrapins bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Savage, Darnell 1997 births Living people Sportspeople from Salisbury, Maryland Players of American football from Maryland American football safeties American football cornerbacks Maryland Terrapins football players Green Bay Packers players Jacksonville Jaguars players