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Matthew Slater opens up about his support for friend and teammate J.C. Jackson. Jackson was active, but did not play vs. the Chiefs in their Week 15 matchup.
New England Patriots fans were left confused during Sunday's 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after cornerback J.C. Jackson seemed to disappear. After being seen in the locker room just before kickoff, the six-year veteran was nowhere to be found, instead being replaced by rookie DB Alex Austin.
Following the conclusion of the game, Jackson's agent confirmed that the reason Jackson was unavailable was because he was dealing with mental health issues.
On Tuesday night, the Patriots placed Jackson -- now on his second stint with the team -- on the reserve/non-football injury list, likely ending his season.
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Jackson tallied 25 combined tackles and six deflected passes in his eight games played since returning to New England in Week 5.
Running back Kevin Harris filled the vacant roster spot on Sunday after being elevated from the practice squad prior to kickoff. With Rhamondre Stevenson still sidelined after the ankle injury sustained in New England's Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, the 23-year-old contributed immediately, carrying the ball four times for 25 yards and a touchdown.
The Patriots will likely once again look to Austin, a 2023 seventh-round pick, for their Week 16 matchup against the Denver Broncos to fill the void left by Jackson. The 22-year-old played well against the Chiefs, logging three tackles, but will need to have more discipline after getting flagged for two penalties.