A major rebuild is on the horizon for the New England Patriots, and they are urged to let go of one of their most tenured players to get started.
The PFF has JC Jackson listed as one of the cut candidates this summer, who has spent five of his seven NFL seasons with the New England Patriots, with the other two with the Los Angeles Chargers.
“This is a bit of a formality after the Patriots inherited Jackson’s contract from the Los Angeles Chargers with the 2023 salary reduced down close to the minimum, and now the salaries balloon back up,” wrote Brad Spielberger.
“Jackson remained one of the lowest-graded cornerbacks in the entire NFL even after his reunion in New England, and the return of Christian Gonzalez in 2024 should provide the Patriots their new lockdown cornerback of the future,” he added.
JC Jackson’s New England Patriots return didn’t go as planned
JC Jackson’s 2023 campaign leaves a lot to be desired, given his previously lofty standards. The one-time Pro Bowler only has 25 combined tackles (22 solo) and six passes defended in eight regular-season games played. He was also given a season grade of 34.8 by the PFF, which is the worst cornerback grade in the whole NFL (127 total CBs).
His 2023 campaign was marred with controversy, as he notably didn’t travel with the team for a Week 10 game in Germany. JC Jackson was also benched in Week 9 as punishment for breaking curfew rules.
In Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs, JC Jackson didn’t play once again, and he finished his 2023 season placed on the team’s non-football injured reserve due to mental issues, according to his agent.
New England Patriots have high hopes for Christian Gonzalez
Cutting JC Jackson this summer will save the New England Patriots $14.4 million in salary room. But more importantly, this will also mean that they are handing the keys to Christian Gonzalez, who is looking like a star in the making.
In his rookie season, the 21-year-old defensive back only played four games due to a torn labrum, but he managed to record 17 combined tackles (14 solo), one sack, one interception, and three passes defended.