Former New England Patriots cornerback and current free agent JC Jackson has been suspended for the first game of the 2024 NFL season due to violating the league's personal conduct policy. Jackson was released by the team in March because of diminishing play and large cap hit. The news of Jackson's conduct policy suspension was first delivered by Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network.
Jackson reunited with his old team in 2023 via trade. After starting the season with the Los Angeles Chargers, the Patriots needed extra help at cornerback due to injuries. The former teammate made sense. Of course, there was a time that Jackson was a better player. In 2021, he made the Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro. But after departing via free agency to join the Chargers ahead of the 2022 season, the wheels started coming off.
Again, in that great 2021 season, he graded 82.6 overall at PFF. In 2022, he dropped down to 28.7 and 34.8 in 2023.
There are better free agents available than a suspended JC Jackson
Last year, there were reports from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer that Jackson was misbehaving and possibly dragging down his teammates along with him. Both Jackson and Jack Jones did not play in Week 9 because the pair missed curfew before the game.
“It's serious,” Breer said. “The problem with J.C. Jackson is that this falls in line with everything else. If you want to go back to his first stint in New England, part of the reason they didn't bring him back is because of these sorts of issues. Then, he gets the big contract out in LA, and has a zillion problems out there.”
With so little at stake this season, the Patriots should focus on development and building experience. Rather than going back to the well with shaky, suspended veterans like JC Jackson. Since the team has so much cap space remaining, the world is their oyster. With teams cutting down their rosters to 53, many prospects will become available. Reading the tea leaves from Breer's reporting, it's clear something is askew in Jackson's life is best left away from the Patriots.
“He didn't fit in with his teammates, he didn't work or compete like everybody else, he got an elective ankle surgery, and the Chargers did everything they could,” Breer said. “The Chargers connected with some of his old Patriot teammates, Devin McCourty, Stephon Gilmore, Kyle Van Noy, to ask them ‘What can we do to get this guy going?' None of it worked.”
The unspoken reasons for Jackson's suspension are likely related to these past transgressions.
The Patriots will complete their preseason on Sunday, August 25 at 8:00 p.m. EST on the road against the Washington Commanders. It's too bad we're unlikely to see either of the rookie quarterbacks, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye. For two young teams, there's plenty at stake for the edges of the depth chart without the signal-callers needing to hog the spotlight.
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