The deal is the latest in a string of moves the Patriots have pulled off in recent years, reuniting with former players who starred in New England.
The trade comes as it was also reported Wednesday morning that first-round rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez is “likely” to miss the rest of the 2023 season due to a torn labrum from a dislocated shoulder he suffered in Week 4.
Gonzalez led the Patriots in passes defended (three) through four games while recording the team’s only interception thus far.
Head coach Bill Belichick addressed the possibility of a trade to replace Gonzalez earlier on Wednesday morning.
New England also lost arguably their best player to injury on Sunday in four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon, who went down with a lower bicep tendon tear. It’s been reported that Judon will be out indefinitely.
The trade for Jackson could certainly help a suddenly limping defense, but the 27-year-old may not be the same player he was just two years ago during his 2021 Pro Bowl campaign.
Jackson spent his first four seasons with the Patriots from 2018-2021, posting a career-high nine interceptions and three fumble recoveries in 2020, before going for career-bests in tackles (58) and passes defended (an NFL-high 23) in 2021. He helped New England win their most recent Super Bowl as a rookie and also had eight interceptions during the final season of his first stint with the organization.
Jackson cashed in on a five-year, $82.5M contract with the Chargers in March 2022, but was limited to five games last season.
After playing 44 snaps and recording one interception and three passes defended in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins, the University of Maryland product had three tackles and played 41 snaps in Week 2. Jackson was inactive in Week 3 and although he was back on the active roster in Week 4, he didn’t play a snap.
In the days after the Week 3 win against the Minnesota Vikings, Jackson said he was “confused” by his benching.
According to a report by ESPN’s Kris Rhim and Mike Reiss, the defensive back allowed a career-worst 149.3 passer rating when targeted last season and had allowed a 72.0 passer rating when targeted this fall.
In addition to his injury issues and inconsistent play, Jackson has also battled legal troubles in recent years.
He was arrested in December 2022 following a “non-violent family issue” and more recently, there was a warrant issued for Jackson’s arrest in September. The warrant came after he failed to appear in court for a probation violation hearing, which stemmed from a 2021 speeding arrest.
The Patriots will host the Chargers in Week 13 on Dec. 3, giving Jackson a chance to square off against his now ex-team.
