The Los Angeles Chargers signed cornerback J.C. Jackson to a five-year, $82.5 million contract ahead of the 2022 NFL season. Just three weeks into the 2023 season and year two of his contract, the Chargers are making Jackson a healthy scratch.
Jackson is a healthy inactive for Sunday’s Chargers game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Chargers’ CB JC Jackson, who signed a five/year, $82.5 million contract, is a healthy inactive vs. the Vikings.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 24, 2023
In 2022, Jackson struggled before suffering a season-ending torn patellar tendon in Week 7. After totaling 17 interceptions over 2020-21 with the New England Patriots, Jackson had zero in five games with the Chargers in 2022. He had a league-high 23 pass deflections in 2021 before having just two pass deflections with the Chargers in 2022.
So far in 2023, things haven’t gone any better for Jackson. Along with general struggles in coverage, he had a game-changing brutal penalty in the Chargers’ 36-34 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Chargers CB J.C. Jackson with an all-timer bad penalty here. Commits a blatant and unnecessary pass interference on what should have been the last play of the half.
The Dolphins will take the three-point gift. pic.twitter.com/cj35QsJ80x
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) September 10, 2023
Jackson, 27, received a $25 million signing bonus and $40 million guaranteed as part of the contract.
The Chargers have been one of the NFL’s biggest — maybe the biggest — disappointments through two weeks of the 2023 season. After entering the season with Super Bowl hopes, Los Angeles is 0-2. Chargers head coach Brandon Staley is on the hot seat, and it doesn’t seem he’s messing around with roster decisions the rest of the way as the team tries to turn things around.