In Week 4 of the 2023 NFL season, the Patriots were routed 38-3 by the Cowboys. During that blowout loss, the Patriots lost one of their up-and-coming stars. Rookie RB Christian Gonzalez suffered a torn labrum from a dislocated shoulder in that contest. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said that Gonzalez could miss the rest of the 2023 season.
With that loss on the secondary, the Patriots decided to act quickly. They contacted the LA Chargers to see if CB J.C. Jackson was available for trade. New England and LA swapped 2025 6th and 7th rounders. Most importantly, the Patriots reacquired Jackson and the Chargers will no longer have to worry about his contract after this season. It’s a deal that both sides were clearly happy with.
After four seasons with the Patriots, J.C. Jackson has been reacquired by New England in a trade with the Chargers
The #Patriots and #Chargers will swap 2025 6th and 7th rounders, sources say. https://t.co/LHfmbBxTb6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 4, 2023
Back in 2018, J.C. Jackson went undrafted out of Maryland. He was lucky enough to sign with the New England Patriots and developed into a solid Pro Bowl CB. After the 2021 season, Jackson signed a five-year, $82 million deal with the LA Chargers. Last season, the 27-year-old was limited to just five games. In Week 7 of 2022, Jackson suffered a season-ending rupture to the patellar tendon in his right knee.
Recently, Jackson told the media that he knows he’s not fully healthy. He did not live up to the expectations the Chargers had for him and they were happy to move on. In Week 3 of the 2023 season, Jackosn was healthy in Week 3 but was listed as inactive. Then in Week 4, Jackson was active and suited up to play. However, he did not see a single snap of playing time vs. the Raiders.
The trade for JC Jackson was necessary because… #Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez, who would have been a candidate for defensive rookie of the year, is likely to miss the rest of the 2023 season with a torn labrum from a dislocated shoulder on Sunday, sources say. Surgery soon. pic.twitter.com/97usulsG6N
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 4, 2023
After not having Jackson on the team in 2022, the Patriots saw how ineffective their CBs were. That’s why New England used the 17th overall pick to draft CB Christian Gonzalez out of Oregon. He started all four games for the Patriots in 2023. Sadly, it looks like the standout rookie is going to miss the rest of this season. Gonzalez was going to be in the running for DROY.
The Patriots will now turn to J.C. Jackson to likely be a starter for the Patriots. With four years of experience in New England, it shouldn’t take Jackson much time to adjust. At 1-3 this season, the Patriots knew they needed to make a move at CB with Gonzalez’s season likely over.
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