FOXBORO — The latest turn in the J.C. Jackson saga was a strange one as his return to the Patriots fails to live up to once lofty expectations.
Jackson was active in Sunday’s 27-17 loss to the Chiefs but didn’t play a single snap. Jackson wasn’t spotted on the sideline, so it seems something must have happened between 11:30 a.m. ET when inactives were announced and 1 p.m. when the game started. If the Patriots had known Jackson wasn’t going to play, then cornerback Shaun Wade likely would not have been included on the inactive list. The Patriots were left with Jonathan Jones, Myles Bryant and rookie Alex Austin, who said he was surprised to start.
“I found out right when the game started,” Austin said.
Jones missed time before halftime with an injury, leaving the team with just two healthy cornerbacks.
“He wasn’t available,” Belichick said. “Just leave it at that.”
Jackson began his career with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He left to join the Chargers on a high-priced free-agent deal in 2022 but quickly wore out his welcome and was traded back to the Patriots earlier this season. The timing couldn’t have been better for Jackson’s return after the Patriots lost rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez to a season-ending injury. Jackson has struggled on and off of the field in his return, however.
The veteran cornerback was left home from Germany in the Patriots’ Week 10 trip to face the Colts after he missed curfew at the team’s hotel. He took accountability for the situation after the Patriots’ Week 11 bye.
“I don’t know what happened with him,” defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said of Jackson. “I’m sure Belichick can answer that. I’m sure he’ll answer that if he feels like it. But I’m sure it’ll be addressed. I don’t know what happened, though.”
Godchaux did say it was surprising that Jackson didn’t play.
“I was expecting to see him on the sidelines just like you guys was,” Godchaux said. “We’ll see.”
Defensive end Deatrich Wise said he saw Jackson before the game.
“Yeah, when I saw him in the locker room, I thought he was going to play,” Wise said. “Yeah, that’s all I have.”