Patriots Exec Addresses Contract Situation Of Veteran Corner

J.C. Jackson’s second stint with the New England Patriots might not last very long.

The Patriots already have an ample amount of cap space, but could create even more of it by cutting J.C. Jackson. Parting ways with Jackson would save $14.375 million against the cap, per MassLive’s Chris Mason.

That has to be an enticing proposition to the Patriots given the cornerback’s struggles on and off the field, and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf addressed the contract situation when meeting with the media Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

“I would say we haven’t come to a decision on that,” Wolf told reporters, per Mason. “We’re kinda working through different options. I haven’t talked to the defensive staff about that one specifically yet.”

Jackson played just eight games for the Patriots after New England acquired the 28-year-old from the Los Angeles Chargers in October. Jackson missed the final four games of the season after the Patriots placed him on the reserve/non-football illness list. Jackson’s agent revealed the corner was battling mental health issues.

Jackson’s play in his second go-around with the Patriots paled in comparison to his ball hawking four-year run with New England that earned him a five-year, $82.5 million deal from the Chargers during the 2022 offseason. Jackson didn’t record an interception with the Patriots this past season and totaled 25 tackles.

He also didn’t help himself by missing curfew before New England’s Week 9 game against the Washington Commanders, which led to him being benched for the first two series of that game while also being left home for the Patriots’ contest in Germany against the Indianapolis Colts.

Jackson did have support from inside the Patriots locker room

“J.C., that’s my dog, man,” Jalen Mills said. “My first year here, it was me and him on the outside. So I’ve always kept in contact with him, just call him, check in on him, see how he’s doing. People kind of fail to realize that we are athletes and we do get paid a lot of money, but we’re humans just like everybody else. We go through things like everybody else.

“I don’t know the exact extent of it, of what’s going on, but he is human, and we go through things.”