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Mike Reiss, ESPN editor
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. New England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson is dealing with “mental health issues,” his agent Neil Schwartz told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday after Jackson was active during the team’s 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs but did not play and was not spotted on the sidelines.
Jackson’s status was the first topic coach Bill Belichick was asked about after the game.
Belichick simply said Jackson was unavailable. When asked why Jackson was on the game day roster if he wasn’t available, Belichick said, “He wasn’t available. Leave it at that.”
A Patriots player expressed concern for Jackson in the locker room after the game, but was unsure of the circumstances that led to Jackson not playing. Jackson’s absence led to an undrafted rookie Alex Austin starting in his place.
“I found out early in the game that my number had been called,” Austin said. “It was a surprise.”
Teams must declare their players inactive 90 minutes before kickoff, and at that time, the Patriots projected Jackson would be ready for kickoff at 1 p.m. ET. As a result, they declared the third-year cornerback Shaun Wade inactive.
But with Jackson suddenly unavailable and Wade inactive, the Patriots were shorthanded at cornerback against the Chiefs quarterback. Patrick Mahomeswho finished 27 of 37 for 305 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Veteran Jonathan JonesAustin and slot machine Myles Bryant were the only cornerbacks remaining on the game day roster, and Jones left with a knee injury at one point before returning.
Belichick likened Jackson’s absence to a situation in which a backup is called into action due to injury.
“We all know that when a match starts, anything can happen. (It) happened a little before that,” he said. “(Austin) was ready to play, he expected to play (and) played a lot. It’s everyone’s job to be ready to go.”
Jackson, 28, was acquired from Los Angeles Chargers in an exchange on October 5. He had fallen out of favor in Los Angeles after signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract in March 2022 and said he was returning to New England – where he began his career from 2018 to 2021 – I felt like I was coming home.
After quickly moving into the starting role when the Patriots lost their rookie Christian Gonzalez Due to a season-ending shoulder injury, Jackson did not make the team’s trip to Germany for a Nov. 12 game against the Colts. He confirmed to MassLive.com that he missed “bed checks” at the team hotel the week before, leading to the discipline of not traveling to the game.
“I would say mentally I’m getting better. The last two and a half years have been up and down for me mentally,” Jackson told MassLive.com upon his return to the team. “You see us in these little helmets, but when we walk through those doors, we’re faced with reality and what a normal person has to face.”
As of Sunday, Jackson had started six games for the Patriots this season, totaling 25 tackles and six passes defensed.
