Los Angeles Chargers cornerback JC Jackson shockingly won’t play in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. This move isn’t due to injury either. It is a bold decision by head coach Brandon Staley.

“#Chargers CB J.C. Jackson is a healthy scratch vs. the #Vikings,” NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported Sunday, just over an hour before the Chargers' Week 3 matchup with the Vikings.

The news came as a surprise, as the former New England Patriots CB signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Chargers last offseason, which includes $40 million guaranteed with an average annual salary of $16.5 million, which makes him the ninth-highest-paid CB in the NFL this season.

Despite the huge contract, Brandon Staley has been losing faith in Jackson over the first two games of the season, giving him 66% of the defensive snaps (44) in Week 1 and 63% in Week 2 (41).

JC Jackson is also still recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon in Week 7 of the 2022 season. That is generally a 12-month injury, but the CB made it back for the start of this season.

In the Chargers Week 3 game with the Vikings, the defense needs to play much better if the team hopes to win its first game of the season. Through two games, the unit has allowed 63 points, the third-most in the league in 2023.

With Jackson a healthy scratch this week, there will be bigger roles for corners Ja'Sir Taylor, Michael Davis, and Deane Leonard across from Asante Samuel Jr.

At 0-2, the Chargers are already in trouble. Just 11.5% of NFL teams who've lost their first two games make the playoffs. If they drop to 0-3, though, those chances drop to just 2.5%.