Patriots’ Matthew Slater Preaches Empathy In Message For J.C. Jackson

It’s easy to jump to conclusions about J.C. Jackson and what the embattled cornerback might or might not be going through.

But in the absence of concrete information, the best course of action is to be empathetic toward someone who could be going through something serious. And that’s the message Matthew Slater communicated Monday when asked about Jackson, who didn’t play last Sunday due to a reported mental health-related incident before the Patriots hosted the Kansas City Chiefs.

Slater, who refers to Jackson by his first name, Jerald, delivered the message during a video call with reporters.

“I’m not intimately familiar with the details of that situation,” Slater said. “I don’t know everything going on. But I think so oftentimes with athletes, we’re put on this pedestal — like we’ve got everything together and our personal lives are great and we’re role models et cetera. But we’re human beings just like everybody else and we struggle with a number of different things, in our personal lives and professional lives.

“They affect us all differently. I think any time guys are going through things, my hope is that I can support them in any way they feel comfortable. Whether it’s something as simple as prayer or having them over to the house. Jerald knows this. I love him. I’ve always been very fond of him since he first got here years ago. And I want nothing but the best for him.

“I think if you ask anyone in our locker room that same question, they’ll tell you the same thing: We care about his well-being as a human being, first and foremost. We want to see him be healthy, both physically and mentally. We want to see him be successful. And all that is with football aside. We put such a heavy emphasis on football and rightfully so — it’s our job. But it’s not the ultimate. It’s an important thing, but it’s not the ultimate thing.

“For Jerald, I hope he hears and understands and knows, that for us, we just want to see him be well. That’s the most important thing.”

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Whether Jackson plays again this season for the Patriots remains to be seen. Head coach Bill Belichick gave a non-answer Monday when asked about Jackson’s potential availability moving forward.

New England will visit the Denver Broncos on Sunday.