Patriots Rumors: Interesting New Detail On J.C. Jackson Reunion

Losing Christian Gonzalez for the season probably convinced the Patriots to execute Wednesday's J.C. Jackson trade. But their finger apparently was near the button before the rookie corner tore his labrum in Dallas.

New England reportedly acquired Jackson from the Chargers in a trade involving the swapping of late-round draft picks. The move reunites Jackson, who dealt with injuries and fell out of favor over his 19 months in Los Angeles, with the franchise that helped propel him to stardom.

Jackson, 27, was a healthy scratch the last two weeks. And that got the Patriots wondering about a potential reunion that eventually came to fruition, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic.

"The Patriots had been monitoring JC Jackson's situation with the Chargers for a couple weeks, initially wondering if he might get released before a reunion in New England," Howe wrote Wednesday on the X platform. "Now that tests confirmed the extent of Christian Gonzalez's injury, the trade for Jackson was a necessity."

Howe's update isn't necessarily surprising.

New England was dealing with a thin cornerback group well before Gonzalez's injury. Jonathan Jones missed the last three games due to an ankle issue, and Jack Jones reportedly will be out until midseason due to a hamstring injury. Marcus Jones is on injured reserve with a torn labrum.

And even with Jackson now in the fold, the Patriots still need other players to step up.

Was adding Jackson a desperation play for the Patriots? Probably. But the reported restructuring of his contract, along with mounting injuries in the cornerback room, made the trade a no-brainer.