Around 9:40 on Wednesday morning, Bill Belichick was asked a question regarding trades. Specifically, if the injuries mounting may increase the chance that a trade would be made as we hit October with the trade deadline looming on the horizon.
In typical Belichick fashion, a “well, to trade at this point, someone has to be available,” was the response.
Apparently, someone was available. Someone the Patriots are very familiar with.
Just seconds after Belichick stepped off the podium, Ian Rapoport tweeted “Sources: The Patriots are trading for Chargers CB JC Jackson. A reunion! The compensation is a swap of late-round picks. Back where he started.”
Officially, the deal was a swap of 2025 sixth and seventh round picks. Jackson is currently in the second year of a five-year, $82.5 million deal he signed in 2022, but the Chargers have agreed to pay the majority of the $12 million guaranteed to him for this season. So, that means this is a classic bargain deal for New England with very little risk. It also means that a Chargers defense that isn’t very good was willing to move on from him badly enough that they were willing to eat salary. A big reason for that is Jackson has faced some legal trouble lately and after being a healthy scratch two weeks ago, was active but didn’t play any snaps this past Sunday.
On one hand, New England may be getting a still somewhat elite talent back, but on the other, there is a reason New England was willing to let him ago, aside from the icy contract negations before departing, he may just not be the same player anymore. Either way, the move was a necessary one as WEEI’s Mike Kadlick and Rapoport also reported that Christian Gonzalez will be out of the year and require surgery for a torn labrum, a brutal blow for the rookie who already looked like an elite defender.
Jackson began his career in Foxborough in 2018, playing in 13 games (5 started), 16 in 2019 (6 started), 16 in 2020 (11 started) and 17 in 2021 (all starts). Of course, Jackson was an All-Pro in 2021 with eight picks (one pick six) a forced fumble and 23 PBU’s.
If the Patriots can get Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones on the field together at some point, then the addition of Jackson certainly helps make up for most of the Gonzalez loss – as long as he’s fully healthy. It’s a big if at this point considering Jackson played just seven games the last two years, but this was a move that desperately needed to be made and comes with little to no risk financially. Hopefully, New England isn’t done adding in other places before the deadline.