J.C. Jackson is partially to thank for Chargers' latest savvy roster move

The J.C. Jackson signing is one of the worst in LA Chargers franchise history. Jackson lasted just over one season with the Bolts after signing a five-year deal that made him the cornerstone of the cornerback room to play alongside superstar Derwin James at the safety position.

Jackson got off to a slow start in LA, eventually suffered a season-ending injury, and simply was not the same player once he returned in 2023. It took just a handful of games for the Chargers to cut bait, trading him back to the New England Patriots.

Jackson's second tenure with the Patriots looked a lot like his tenure with the Chargers. Off-the-field issues were more prominent than his on-field play and the Patriots eventually cut ties as well. Now, Jackson remains without a team and is suspended for one game in 2024 for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.

As bad as the Jackson signing was for the Chargers, the team is at least getting something good out of it heading into 2024. Trading Jackson back to the Patriots needed the Chargers extra draft capital, which allowed the team to improve the backup quarterback position by trading for Taylor Heinicke.

J.C. Jackson is partially to thank for Chargers' Taylor Heinicke trade

The Chargers traded a conditional 2025 seventh-round pick for Heinicke that can turn into a sixth-round pick if certain conditions are met. It is unclear exactly what the conditions are but they are almost certainly playing-time related.

Backup quarterback was a pressing need for the Chargers so there is a decent chance the team would have addressed the position regardless but having extra capital from the Jackson trade didn't hurt. Los Angeles swapped its 2025 seventh-round pick for the Patriots' sixth-round pick in the same draft.

However, Los Angeles also had a seventh-round pick coming via the Cleveland Browns, who traded it for Dustin Hopkins a year ago. Thus, the Chargers still had at least one seventh-round pick while also having a second sixth-round pick via the Patriots.

Having that extra capital definitely made the team more comfortable with the idea of parting ways with a sixth-round pick if it were to come to that. Either way, the Chargers would either have two sixth-round picks or one sixth and one seventh-round pick. The Chargers are essentially losing nothing by trading for Heinicke.

All thanks to the fact that the team somehow convinced the Patriots to send a pick swap for a troublesome cornerback, J.C. Jackson.