Patriots cut J.C. Jackson, ending cornerback's second stint with team

BOSTON -- J.C. Jackson's second tenure with the Patriots is over, as the team cut the veteran cornerback on Friday.

The move clears up roughly $13.5 million of cap space for the Patriots, who will now have over $100 million of cap space to work with when free agency opens next month.

The 28-year-old Jackson rejoined the Patriots in early October, acquired via trade with the Chargers for a late-round pick swap, just over a year after Jackson had signed a big-money contract with Los Angeles in free agency. After wearing out his welcome with the Chargers, though, Jackson found himself on the outs in Foxboro, getting sent home by the team and left behind when the team traveled to Germany to play the Colts in November. That situation arose after Jackson had been benched in the first quarter of consecutive games.

The cornerback originally entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Patriots in 2018, winning a Super Bowl as a rookie. He intercepted 22 passes from 2019-21, earning a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Chargers in 2022. He'd end up playing in just seven games for the Chargers, and he played just eight games in his second go-round with New England. He recorded 25 tackles with no interceptions and six pass defenses in his eight games with New England in 2023. In December, the Patriots placed him on the reserve/non-football injury list, as he reportedly dealt with mental health issues.

With Jackson off the depth chart, the Patriots enter the offseason with Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones as their top cornerbacks.