Patriots reacquire J.C. Jackson in trade with Chargers
BOSTON -- J.C. Jackson and the New England Patriots are set for a reunion.
Short on cornerbacks, the Patriots acquired Jackson from the Chargers in a trade on Wednesday. Ian Rapoport reported that it's just a pick swap in 2025 for New England and Los Angeles.
Additionally, Tom Pelissero and Jeremy Fowler reported that the Chargers are covering the bulk of Jackson's salary for this season.
Jackson, 27, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018 with the Patriots, winning a Super Bowl as a rookie and spending four seasons with the Patriots.
He signed a big-money deal with the Chargers in 2022 but has not lived up to the contract, playing in just seven games over the past two seasons. He was a healthy scratch for L.A. in Week 3, and he didn't play in Week 4.
It was reported in late September that there was an arrest warrant out for Jackson in Massachusetts after his failure to appear in court. That matter is related to traffic charges.
The Patriots have been ravaged by injury at cornerback this season, most recently with rookie Christian Gonzalez suffering a dislocated shoulder in Sunday's loss in Dallas. Jonathan Jones has missed three games due to an ankle injury, Marcus Jones went on IR after suffering an injury in Week 2, and Jack Jones has been on IR since the start of the season after suffering a hamstring injury at practice.
Jackson intercepted 25 passes from 2018-21, tying an NFL record for most interceptions by a player in his first four seasons. He hit free agency after an eight-interception season in 2021 and signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Chargers, a deal that included $40 million fully guaranteed with $25 million of that coming in the form of a signing bonus. Offseason ankle surgery kept Jackson out of the Chargers' season opener last year, and he didn't play in Week 3 either. He returned to play in Weeks 4-7 but suffered a season-ending knee injury. In total, Jackson recorded just one interception in seven games with the Chargers.
