Update: After the publication of this article it was reported that a judge in Massachusetts issued an arrest warrant for Jackson after he violated the terms of his probation and did not appear in court on Friday. You can find Bolt Beat's updates on the situation here.
J.C. Jackson did not suit up for the LA Chargers in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. Some speculated that Jackson suffered a minor setback to his recovery from his ruptured patellar tendon but that was not the case. He was a healthy scratch.
Jackson played a terrible game in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins and was the main reason why the team lost that game. He was better in Week 2 but still left a lot to be desired, especially considering the resources the team poured into him.
Even worse for Jackson, Brandon Staley doubled down on the decision to make Jackson a healthy scratch. He told the FOX broadcast that the group of cornerbacks on the active roster gave the team its best chance of winning. Then, after the Chargers' Week 3 win, Staley did not commit to whether or not Jackson could work his way back into the cornerback rotation moving forward.
Asked if Jackson had a chance to work his way back into the rotation, Staley said that is to be determined. https://t.co/VcFsyUghip
— Jeff Miller (@JeffMillerLAT) September 24, 2023
Ouch. That does not seem like someone who the head coach has confidence in moving forward.
Brandon Staley's post-game comments spell doom for J.C. Jackson on the Chargers
On one hand, Staley deserves some credit for actually doing what a head coach should do and throwing out the best options for the team. Most head coaches would throw Jackson out there regardless since he is a big name and the team is paying so much money for him.
But that does not make this situation any better for the Bolts. Los Angeles committed a lot of money to Jackson in the 2022 offseason and he has done nothing but disappoint. If things continue to trend in this direction then Jackson will go down as the worst signing in Chargers history.
If we are looking at the glass-half-empty then we could argue that Jackson just needs more time to get fully back into form from his knee injury. But then again, it isn't like Jackson was playing well for the Chargers last season before the injury, either.
In reality, this could be the beginning of the end of Jackson in Los Angeles. Right now it is just one healthy scratch but it could turn into multiple healthy scratches and a situation in which both parties want out of this relationship.
No team is going to trade him because of his contract and how he has played thus far, so this situation would have to be drawn out for the remainder of the 2023 season. Only then, the Chargers could cut Jackson next offseason and save $4.375 million against the cap.
Staley's comments indicate that is the direction the team is heading with J.C. Jackson.