Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson played 48 out of New England’s 52 total defensive snaps (92%) during Sunday’s afternoon faceoff against the Giants. It marked his second-highest snap count of the 2023 season back with New England.
The return to New England has been shakey for Jackson. Before New England’s Week 9 loss against the Commanders, Jackson admitted to missing the team’s curfew at the team hotel. As a result, Jackson was benched during the beginning of their Week 9 matchup and did not travel with the team to play the Colts in Germany the following week.
“I was kind of late to a bed check,” Jackson told MassLives’ Mark Daniels last Tuesday. “They checked my room. I wasn’t there at the time. That’s what it was. It was nothing major. I wasn’t out that night doing anything stupid. It was just I wasn’t where I was supposed to be on time. Little mistakes, man.”
Throughout his response to Daniels, Jackson was very apologetic, frequently owning up to his mistake.
“It was a punishment on my behalf, and that’s what it was,” Jackson reiterated to Daniels. “I didn’t take it any other way than: This is punishment, and I hope you learn from it and grow from this mistake I made… It was all my fault. I made a mistake. That’s what you’re going to get from Bill (Belichick). That’s one thing about him: He’s going to discipline no matter who you are.”
Jackson, 28, was a fan favorite in New England during his first stint with the team. After recording eight interceptions in 2020 and nine takeaways in 2021, he signed a massive deal with the Chargers during the 2022 NFL off-season, inking a 5-year, $82.5M contract. Unfortunately, Jackson ruptured his patellar tendon in a Week 7 matchup against the Seahawks last season and hasn’t been the same. After recovering from the injury, Jackson had a falling out with Los Angeles and was ultimately benched and later traded.
After season-ending injuries to cornerbacks Marcus Jones and Christian Gonzalez, the Patriots decided to trade back for Jackson. Luckily for New England, the Chargers paid off most of Jackson’s 2023 salary, which has helped New England’s secondary unit remain stable.
Thankful to be back in New England, Jackson also stated during his interview with Mark Daniels that he would like to finish his career with the organization that gave him a shot as an undrafted free agent.
“Reality check: I’m not bigger than the team. I’m not bigger than nobody in here,” Jackson said. “This is a team sport, and I have to do whatever everybody else is doing. I want to be a part of the team. This is my team and this is home for me, man. This is where I want to be. I don’t want to go nowhere else. I want to finish my career here also. I’ve just got to continue to build that leadership each and every day.”
Jackson was able to handle his benching situation in an appropriate and impressive manner. Evidently, he’s regaining Bill Belichick’s trust after playing 92% of the team’s defensive snaps last Sunday.
I’m curious to see what the team’s future plans are for Jackson after what we’ve seen from him in a Patriots uniform this season. Jackson’s cap number for his remaining three years is around $14M per season. A 2024 restructure could free up around $8.8M.
