Report: Patriots release veteran CB J.C. Jackson
The move clears $14 million in cap space for New England, with no dead cap hit.
The Patriots are set to release veteran cornerback J.C. Jackson, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
The move was expected, as Jackson didn’t pan out during his second stint in New England and would command a hefty chunk of cap space if the Patriots elected to retain him.
By releasing Jackson, New England will clear $14 million in cap space and avoid any dead cap hit. Jerod Mayo and the Patriots’ front office will now have even more room to sign key players and kickstart a rebuild. They already had nearly $87 million in cap space before the move.
Now New England has even more room to re-sign offensive lineman Mike Onwenu and safety Kyle Dugger, who are both free agents this offseason. The Patriots reportedly already made an offer to Dugger.
As for Jackson, the cornerback enjoyed a highly successful first run in New England before signing a lucrative five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022. After underperforming in LA, the Chargers cut Jackson a few weeks into the 2023 season. The deal was so bad that then-Chargers GM Tom Telesco apologized to his defensive backs for it.
In need of cornerback help, the Patriots and Jackson opted for a reunion. That didn’t last long, though.
Between being benched for discipline reasons and subpar play on the field, Jackson only appeared in eight games for New England in 2023. And, during those outings, he far from lived up to the “Mr. INT” nickname he earned during his first seasons in Foxborough.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com