J.C. Jackson Dons New Number In Patriots Practice Return

FOXBORO, Mass. — J.C. Jackson sported a new jersey number Thursday as he began his second stint with the Patriots.

The veteran cornerback wore No. 27 during his initial four-year run with New England, but he was in No. 29 when he took the practice field for the first time after his trade from the Chargers.

Jackson’s old number belongs to Myles Bryant, one of the few Patriots cornerbacks who hasn’t been sidelined by injuries this season. Jackson still had a number 27 on the back of his helmet, which might have been a holdover from his first Patriots tenure

Patriots owner Robert Kraft walked over to greet Jackson shortly after practice began.

LA, which signed Jackson to a five-year, $82.5 million contract in March 2022, traded the 27-year-old back to New England for peanuts on Wednesday, receiving a 2025 sixth-round pick in exchange for Jackson and a 2025 seventh.

The Chargers also agreed to pay most of Jackson’s 2023 salary, making him a low-risk pickup for the depleted Patriots.

New England likely will need Jackson to step in and immediately contribute after losing stud rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez to a season-ending shoulder injury in last Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Jonathan Jones also has missed three straight games with an ankle injury, and Jack Jones and Marcus Jones both are on injured reserve.

Jackson was a disastrous signing for the Chargers, appearing in just seven games over two seasons and sitting out the last two before his trade as a healthy scratch. But he was a superb cover man for the Patriots, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in 2021 after grabbing eight interceptions and notching an NFL-best 23 passes defended.

The Patriots will look to avoid falling to 1-4 on the season when they host the New Orleans Saints this Sunday at Gillette Stadium.