J.C. Jackson's first year with the LA Chargers did not go as planned. After signing a massive five-year contract with the team, Jackson's 2022 season started off slow due to an ankle surgery that he had shortly before the season began.
Once he did play Jackson looked a step behind both in his coverage and his understanding of Brandon Staley's scheme. Jackson finally started to play well up until he ruptured his Patellar tendon in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks in a non-contact injury.
This injury is typically one that NFL players do not come back well from but thankfully, Jackson seems to be progressing well and may return sooner than expected. Whether or not he can return to his old form is yet to be seen.
Regardless, Jackson should be back in action by the time the Chargers are scheduled to take on his former team, the New England Patriots. The Bolts will travel to Foxborough in Week 13. While that is months away, Jackson has already sent a warning shot to Mac Jones and his former team for that matchup.
Former Patriot CB JC Jackson on NFL Network talking about the game vs New England this season: "It's a revenge game for me. I'm excited to go back and pick Mac Jones off and show them why they should've never let me go." 👀👀👀 Whew! pic.twitter.com/1l6JEQziCU
— FTB VIDS (@anotherFTBacct) May 11, 2023
Chargers' J.C. Jackson wants revenge against New England Patriots
Picking off Mac Jones should not be that hard of a challenge, especially if the Patriots actually let him throw the ball. He only threw 11 picks last season but his interception rate of 2.5% was the 11th-highest in the league, putting him in the same ballpark as Baker Mayfield.
Bill Belichick and Bill O'Brien are going to do whatever they can to make sure that the former Patriots' corner is not the one to beat them and that is where Staley needs to counter. Staley needs to put Jackson in a situation to succeed not just in this game but once he returns from injury. That was not the case last season.
But hey, this season Jackson obviously has a bit more motivation. Not only is has he circled this game against the Patriots as a revenge game but he is looking to prove the rest of the NFL world wrong and play well once he returns from injury.
Jackson has become a forgotten-about member of the Chargers but if he comes back playing like the Patriots version of himself next to Michael Davis and Asante Samuel Jr. then it is going to be a problem for the rest of the league.