J.C. Jackson’s time with the Los Angeles Chargers is over, as the New England Patriots have re-acquired the cornerback in a swap of late-round picks. The Patriots will acquire Jackson and a 2025 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
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Why Did the Patriots Trade for J.C. Jackson?
Jackson has struggled since leaving the Patriots and signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Chargers during the 2022 offseason. But New England desperately needed cornerback help that essentially necessitated a transaction like today’s trade.
On Tuesday, NFL Network reported that New England’s first-round pick, cornerback Christian Gonzalez, is expected to miss the rest of the season after he tore his labrum against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4.
The trade for JC Jackson was necessary because… #Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez, who would have been a candidate for defensive rookie of the year, is likely to miss the rest of the 2023 season with a torn labrum from a dislocated shoulder on Sunday, sources say. Surgery soon. pic.twitter.com/97usulsG6N
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 4, 2023
Gonzalez, who fell to New England at pick No. 17 despite being mentioned as a potential top-five selection, had been outstanding during his first month of NFL action and had become the Patriots’ top cornerback.
But he’s not the only New England CB out with an injury. Jack Jones and Marcus Jones are on injured reserve (Jack Jones is eligible to return this week). And veteran Jonathan Jones has missed the past three games with an ankle injury.
Why Did Jackson Struggle in Los Angeles?
On August 8, PFN Insider Adam Caplan noted that the Chargers received surprising news when Jackson (patellar tendon surgery) was cleared to practice immediately at the start of training camp.
The type of knee injury that Jackson suffered in Week 7 of last season against the visiting Seattle Seahawks was typically viewed as worse than an ACL injury, which is why it was a surprise that he was back on the field so early.
Caplan indicated that Jackson struggled a bit performing in the Chargers’ defensive scheme last season before suffering his injury — a scheme different from the one he played in with the Patriots over the previous four seasons.
Los Angeles mainly ran “mirror match” coverage, zone coverage where the cornerback will trail and carry the wide receiver to a specific area.
Jackson struggled to fit in this scheme, which was sometimes evident on the field. Now, he’ll head back to New England, where he once thrived, earning a second-team All-Pro nod in his final season with the club.
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The Chargers briefly benched Jackson during the 2022 campaign. This year, he was a healthy scratch in Week 3. In Week 4, he was active but did not play. The 27-year-old didn’t hide his disappointment about not being on the field.
“I don’t know. What else do they expect me to do?” Jackson said last week. “I told coach (Brandon Staley) what else do you expect me to do?
“I’ve been doing everything. I came back from my injury pretty fast. I’ve been putting in extra work after practice, even in meeting rooms. The DBs, every Friday, we all meet to do extra film and being a good teammate, so I don’t know what it is. I’m still kind of confused and still don’t have answers to why I’m getting treated like this.”
“I know what I can do. I know that I can help the team, so it kind of frustrates me that I’m not starting and that coach has me sitting out, and I’m one of the best players on the team. I’m one of the best [defensive backs] that we have.”
What About Jackson’s Contract?
Jackson’s five-year deal with the Chargers is arguably one of the worst contracts in the NFL. As such, Los Angeles had to make some financial concessions in order to send him to New England.
Jackson has $9.33 in remaining salary for the rest of this season. According to ESPN, the Patriots will only pay $1.5 million of that total, while the Chargers will handle the rest via a signing bonus.
To facilitate the trade, the #Patriots and #Chargers are reworking J.C. Jackson's remaining $9.33M salary for 2023, with New England covering around $1.5M and the Chargers covering the rest in a signing bonus, per sources. Contract stays intact otherwise.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 4, 2023
The rest of Jackson’s deal, which runs through the 2026 campaign, will remain unchanged. Jackson has $12+ million base salaries and an annual $2 million roster bonus each season from 2024-26, but none of that money is guaranteed.
New England will essentially hold a $14 million option on Jackson heading into 2024. Unless he somehow returns to his previous All-Pro level, there’s almost no chance the Patriots will allow him to return at that cap figure next season.