'Great!': Mac Jones Grades New England Patriots' J.C. Jackson Trade
The New England Patriots made headlines Wednesday by acquiring cornerback J.C. Jackson in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers, bringing the 27-year-old back to the place his professional career began.
Jackson, who departed for Los Angeles in the spring of 2022 after earning second-team All-Pro honors in his final season with the Patriots, had a challenging two years on the west coast.
Last season, Jackson missed all but five games with a torn right patellar tendon, and even when healthy, the level of play he showed in New England wasn't apparent.
Eyeing a bounce-back campaign this fall, Jackson started slow, with Chargers coach Brandon Staley dubbing him "not very good" in Week 1.
Evidently, Los Angeles didn't feel Jackson improved enough to warrant keeping around, as it traded him and a 2025 seventh-round pick to New England in return for a 2025 sixth-round pick.
Now back with the Patriots, Jackson will fill attempt to fill the void left by injured rookie star Christian Gonzalez, who's expected to miss the remainder of the season with a dislocated shoulder.
Directly replacing Gonzalez, who earned AFC Defensive Rookie of the Month honors for September, won't be easy - but the Patriots know Jackson is more than capable of shining.
Just ask quarterback Mac Jones, who faced Jackson in practice throughout the entirety of his Pro Bowl season in 2021 and is well aware of the skill set the 6-1, 198-pound corner brings to the table.
"J.C. is a great player," Jones said. "He taught me a lot my rookie year. Just aggressive. There's a lot of corners that play like him, but he's very unique. He's fast, aggressive, he has a very good knack for the ball. So, yeah, he's a really good player."
Mac Jones (10) and J.C. Jackson (27) are back together again.
Jae C. Hong/AP
During his four seasons with the Patriots, Jackson emerged as one of the NFL's best ballhawks, collecting 25 interceptions and 53 passes defended.
This reputation earned Jackson a five-year, $82.5 million contract from the Chargers in Mar. 2022, but he played just seven games during his time in Los Angeles.
New England will utilize Jackson's services on a financially beneficial deal, as Los Angeles is set to pay a majority of his $12 million guaranteed contract, per NFL Network.
And so, with Jackson, the Patriots are adding a player not only familiar with their defensive scheme but proven to be successful in it ... and he's arriving at a discounted price in a time of need at the position.
Jackson will get a chance to make his return to Foxboro this Sunday, when New England hosts the New Orleans Saints at 1 p.m. EST inside Gillette Stadium.
