The New England Patriots are turning to an old friend to address a glaring roster need.
The Patriots are acquiring cornerback J.C. Jackson from the Los Angeles Chargers in a trade, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday. The Patriots and Chargers will swap sixth- and seventh-round picks in 2025, per Rapoport.
An undrafted free agent who signed with the Patriots in 2018, Jackson blossomed into a Pro Bowl cornerback in New England before landing a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Chargers in 2022 free agency. The 27-year-old has had a rocky tenure in Los Angeles, however -- he missed 12 games in 2022 due to injury and has appeared in just two of four games for the Chargers this season despite being fully healthy.
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The Patriots desperately need cornerback help, however: Rookie Christian Gonzalez reportedly is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn labrum from a dislocated shoulder Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, while Jack Jones is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and Jonathan Jones has missed the last three gams with an ankle ailment.
According to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, New England had been monitoring Jackson for "a couple weeks" and pulled the trigger on a deal after learning the extent of Gonzalez's injury.
Jackson has a $12 million base salary for 2023 and will carry a $19.4 million cap hit in 2024 before a potential out after that season. However, there's no guaranteed salary remaining on his contract, per Over The Cap, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports New England will be on the hook for just $1.5 million of Jackson's contract for this season.
Jackson also had a warrant out for his arrest in Massachusetts as of last week after failing to show up to a court hearing, so whether he'll be able to suit up in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints remains to be seen at this time.