Patriots place J.C. Jackson on reserve/non-football injury list, sign Kevin Harris to active roster
BOSTON -- Two days after he missed a game due to personal reasons, cornerback J.C. Jackson has been placed on the reserve/non-football injury list by the New England Patriots.
The Patriots also signed running back Kevin Harris from the practice squad to the active roster. The Patriots also announced the practice-squad signings of running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn and defensive back William Hooper, as well as the waiver claim on quarterback Nathan Rourke.
Jackson was expected to play on Sunday, and he was not among the inactive players listed by the team 90 minutes prior to kickoff. But Jackson never took the field for the Patriots' home game against the Chiefs -- a 27-17 loss for New England -- with head coach Bill Belichick failing to disclose a reason for the absence.
Jackson's agent told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Jackson is "dealing with a mental health issue."
The 28-year-old Jackson rejoined the Patriots earlier this season in a trade with the Chargers, where Jackson had signed a big-money free-agent deal just last year. But Jackson quickly wore out his welcome in L.A., reportedly refusing to tie his cleats and enter a game earlier this season. That move reportedly led to the trade, where the Chargers gave him back to New England for just a late-round pick swap.
Since rejoining the Patriots, he's played in eight games, but he was also kept off the practice field for multiple days and told not to travel with the team for the trip to Germany for the international game against the Colts. Despite not joining the team until early October, Jackson has been on the field for almost 50 percent of the Patriots' defensive snaps this season.
Cornerback has been an area of need this season for the Patriots. Rookie Christian Gonzalez suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4 against the Cowboys, while Jack Jones played just five games after dealing with offseason legal trouble and getting waived in mid-November. Marcus Jones also suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2. With Jack Jones and Gonzalez -- the two starters -- out for the bulk of the year, the Patriots have relied on Myles Bryant, Jonathan Jones, and Jackson as the top three corners. Shaun Wade (225 snaps) and Alex Austin (78 snaps) have also played at corner, with Austin replacing Jackson on Sunday.
As for Harris, the second-year running back was elevated from the practice squad on Sunday, with the team short on running backs due to Rhamondre Stevenson's injury and the release of Ty Montgomery. Harris scored a touchdown, rushing for 25 yards on four carries.