Patriots reportedly reacquire J.C. Jackson; Christian Gonzalez out for season

Updated Oct. 4, 2023 11:08 a.m. ET

J.C. Jackson is returning to New England.

The Patriots have agreed to a deal with the Chargers to reacquire the cornerback, swapping a sixth-round pick for a seventh-round pick in 2025 to get Jackson, NFL Media reported Wednesday. New England's move comes as it learned that rookie standout corner Christian Gonzalez will likely miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn labrum in the Patriots' Week 4 loss to the Cowboys, NFL Media added in its report.

The trade ends Jackson's brief, shaky tenure with the Chargers. He signed a five-year, $82.5 million deal with $40 million guaranteed to head to Los Angeles during the 2022 offseason, making him one of the highest-paid corners of all time. He struggled out of the gate and was benched during the Chargers' Week 6 matchup against the Broncos. He returned to the lineup a week later but ruptured his patellar tendon during that game, ending his season.

Jackson returned to play at the start of this season, but his standing with the Chargers continued to fall. He was a healthy scratch in Week 3 and didn't play a single snap in Week 4 despite being active. 

Jackson ends his tenure with the Chargers with only one interception in seven games, a stark dropoff from the 17 interceptions he recorded in his final two seasons with the Patriots, which included a Pro Bowl nod in 2021. 

The Chargers also incentivized the Patriots to take back Jackson. The Patriots will cover $1.5 million of Jackson's remaining $9.33 million salary for this season while the Chargers will cover the rest in a signing bonus, ESPN reported. While Jackson is under contract for three more seasons following 2023, he isn't owed any guaranteed money beyond this year. 

The Patriots' decision to bring back Jackson comes as they've been dealing with several injuries to their secondary. In addition to losing Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Gonzalez, both Marcus Jones and Jack Jones are on injured reserve with shoulder and hamstring injuries, respectively. Veteran corner Jonathan Jones has also missed the past three games due to an ankle injury.

New England's injury woes at defensive back were evident in Week 4, allowing Dak Prescott to complete 28 of 34 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown in a 38-3 loss to fall to 1-3 on the season.