J.C. Jackson’s Anti-Patriots Quote Has New Meaning After Return

It’s safe to say J.C. Jackson will be fired up for the New England Patriots’ matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13.

In fact, he has been for months.

The Patriots traded for Jackson on Wednesday, bringing the former All-Pro back to New England for a second stint following injuries to their top four cornerbacks. The move was made possible due to his disastrous tenure with the Chargers, where he played in just seven games across two seasons.

In the middle of that horrific union, the then-Chargers cornerback seemingly didn’t have much foresight, trashing the Patriots in advance of what he thought was going to be his return to New England.

“It’s a revenge game for me,” Jackson said in May 2023. “I’m excited to go back and pick Mac Jones off and show them why they should’ve never let me go.”

Jackson likely will be at the forefront of New England’s defensive effort against his former team, with rookie sensation Christian Gonzalez likely lost for the season due to a torn labrum. Matthew Judon and Marcus Jones are also expected to miss significant time, with both likely sitting for the remainder of the regular season.

The 27-year-old will need to step his game up if he hopes to still be kicking around New England’s secondary by Week 13, however. The move for Jackson was essentially a no-risk one for the Patriots, as the Chargers will be paying him to go away after PFF gave him a 28.1 coverage grade in 2022 before he was designated as a healthy scratch in two games this season.

The matchup will still be a “revenge game,” but one in which he’ll be hoping to intercept former teammate Justin Herbert instead of Jones.