JC Jackson Believes He Has a Lot to Prove to Chargers Teammates in 2023
The general stigma around a player that gets hurt in the first year of a big contract is that they have it made. Millions of dollars will be hitting their bank accounts and they don't even have to suit up, sounds like right? Well, that could not be further from the truth for JC Jackson who missed majority of the 2022 season for the Los Angeles Chargers.
If LA had a healthy Jackson during their wild card matchup against the Jaguars, that second half would be a completely different story. The 27-year-old CB made it clear just how much it pained him to not be able to help LA fight during their first playoff appearance since 2018. He has been working hard all offseason long to be ready for training camp and for week one against the Miami Dolphins.
Jackson was signed to a five-year, $82 million deal with the Bolts last March and he saw action in just five games before rupturing his patellar tendon. All eyes will be on the Chargers this season as they look to prove they can compete with the top teams in their conference and they are more than just a squad that is content with a wild card appearance.
Their defense will certainly need to take strides and if Jackson can return to the same star he was in New England in 2021 that recorded 58 combined tackles and shut down elite WR's, LA will be a tough group to take down.
When catching up with Lindsey Thiry of ESPN, Jackson got brutally honest about the mindset he's in as minicamp kicks off and he revealed that he never wants to let his teammates down again.
"Haven't done anything. Got hurt. And I just got paid," said Jackson, who finished the season with 15 tackles and two pass deflections. "I still got to prove to my teammates and to myself that I am still Mr. INT. I didn't do s--- last year."
(Via ESPN)
Jackson is certainly as humble as they come, we hope to see him fully healthy when week one rolls around!
