


A few days after J.C. Jackson’s agent revealed that the corner was dealing with “mental health issues,” the Patriots placed him on the reserve/non-football illness list.
Jackson missed Sunday’s game against the Chiefs and was not seen on the sideline, despite the fact he was thought to be available beforehand.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick offered no explanation as to why Jackson didn’t play other than to say, “he wasn’t available.”
He had started the previous three games before missing Sunday’s loss to Kansas City.
Neil Schwartz, Jackson’s agent, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday that Jackson has been dealing with mental health issues.
Jackson will now be away from the Patriots for an indefinite amount of time.
The corner arrived back in New England after an Oct. 5 trade with the Chargers that sent Jackson to the Patriots, where he had played from 2018-21.
He signed with the Chargers during the 2022 offseason on a five-year, $82.5 million contract.
While Jackson had a good first run with the Pats — recording 25 interceptions over his four seasons — but things didn’t go as well with the Chargers.
Jackson was benched earlier in the season after dealing with a patellar tendon injury in 2022.
Issues continued to arise during his second stint with the Patriots.
He was benched during a Week 9 game against the Commanders after he had missed curfew a few days earlier, according to The Athletic.
Jackson was then told to stay home the week after and didn’t accompany the team to Germany for the Patriots’ game against the Colts.

“I would say mentally I’m getting better. The past year and a half, two years has been up and down for me mentally,” Jackson told MassLive.com after returning to the team. “You see us in those little, small helmets but as we walk out these doors, we’re dealing with reality and what a normal person has to deal with.”
Jackson had 25 tackles and six passes defended in six starts for New England this season.