Pass defense has been a key issue for the Chargers as they have struggled to an 0-2 start to the season, and a high-profile piece of that unit has been more a problem than part of the solution — to the point that the team feels like it will be better off without him on the field.
J.C. Jackson, who joined Los Angeles on a huge five-year contract last offseason, is inactive for the Chargers' Week 3 game at the also-winless Vikings on Sunday.
Jackson has not appeared on the injury report in the week leading up to the game, so this is purely a coaching decision by Brandon Staley and his staff as they try to get back on track.
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Here's what to know about Jackson's tenuous status with the Chargers:
Where is J.C. Jackson?
J.C. Jackson is a healthy scratch for the Chargers' game at the Vikings on Sunday after struggling along with the rest of the defense through the first two games.
Los Angeles enters Week 3 having allowed the most yards per attempt (9.6) in the NFL and the second-most passing yards (666) through two games. Though Jackson has the team's lone interception this season, in the opener against the Dolphins, he has mostly been a non-factor — if not an outright negative — so far in 2023.
MORE: Chargers' J.C. Jackson commits inexplicable penalty to gift Dolphins points before half
Pro Football Focus gives Jackson a 48.2 grade through two weeks. That placed him 85th of 95 qualifying cornerbacks across the league and well behind the top player at the position. That would be the Saints' Marshon Lattimore, who has a grade of 87.9.
This year's struggles have followed a debut season in Los Angeles that ended prematurely when Jackson ruptured his patellar tendon in Week 7 against the Seahawks.
Asked about Jackson's status following the game, Staley told reporters it was merely a "coach's decision" to designate him inactive and said his status going forward was "to be determined."
Jackson has other worries beyond his playing status. MassLive reported Monday that the former Patriots cornerback was scheduled to appear in a Massachusetts court Friday for a probation violation hearing but didn't show, and he now has a warrant out for his arrest.
The report said Jackson did not complete the terms of his probation from a criminal speeding charge in 2021.
It's unclear if the warrant had anything to do with Jackson being inactive Sunday.
J.C. Jackson contract
After spending the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Patriots, Jackson signed a five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Chargers before the 2022 season. A whopping $40 million of Jackson's deal was guaranteed, which is the third-most guaranteed money ever given to an undrafted free agent behind former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and current Dallas right tackle Terence Steele.
After the Saints’ undrafted DE Carl Granderson landed a four-year, $52 million contract extension that includes $35.3 million guaranteed today, @ESPNStatsInfo computed the most guaranteed money given to undrafted free agents over the past 20 years: pic.twitter.com/zKnayyHgI4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 24, 2023
Jackson is making $12 million in base salary this season after collecting $28 million last year, including a $25 million signing bonus.
J.C. Jackson stats
Though Jackson recorded his first interception as a Charger in Week 1, he has just three combined tackles this season and five passes defended over his seven-game Los Angeles tenure. He led the NFL with 23 passes defended in 2021, his final season in New England.
| Year | Team | G | Int. | Tackles |
| 2018 | Patriots | 13 | 3 | 24 |
| 2019 | Patriots | 16 | 5 | 36 |
| 2020 | Patriots | 16 | 9 | 40 |
| 2021 | Patriots | 17 | 8 | 58 |
| 2022 | Chargers | 5 | 0 | 15 |
| 2023 | Chargers | 2 | 1 | 3 |