Why Completion Of Patriots’ J.C. Jackson Trade Was Delayed

The Patriots came out of Week 4 in dire need of cornerback help, and they turned to an old friend as a potential solution.

Three days after rookie Christian Gonzalez tore his labrum in Dallas, news broke that New England swung a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for J.C. Jackson. Jackson was an above-average corner across his first four seasons in Foxboro, Mass., but he quickly fell out of favor on the West Coast after inking an expensive five-year deal with the Bolts in March 2022.

Although most of the details about the Patriots-Chargers trade came out Wednesday, the deal wasn’t finalized until Thursday. ESPN’s Mike Reiss explained why in a column published Sunday morning.

“The Patriots and Chargers had agreed to terms on the Jackson trade early Wednesday morning, but the deal couldn’t be finalized until Thursday,” Reiss wrote. “The reason is that the Chargers had restructured Jackson’s contract to turn base salary into a signing bonus, and a player can’t be traded on the same day his contract is restructured.”

How much Jackson can help New England remains to be seen, but Bill Belichick and company didn’t make a significant investment in a player who dealt with a serious injury and poor play over the last 19 months. The Patriots reportedly only have to shell out $1.5 million this season for Jackson, who doesn’t have any guaranteed money on the books beyond the current campaign.

All told, it was a low-risk move for New England that has a chance to have a high upside. Jackson will try to get off on the right foot Sunday, as reports indicate he’ll suit up against the New Orleans Saints at Gillette Stadium.