In March 2022, the Chargers thought they made a great deal when they signed Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson. He was coming off of a second-team All-Pro selection and with his stock higher than it had ever been, Los Angeles signed him to a massive five-year deal worth $82.5 million—only to trade him a year later.
The pair never worked out and the Chargers traded him back to the Patriots for a swap of late-round picks earlier this season, prompting general manager Tom Telesco to apologize to players while attending a team’s defensive backs meeting in Week 6.
Telesco told the group that signing Jackson was a mistake, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim:
Telesco told the group that signing Jackson was a mistake, according to multiple team sources. He apologized for continuing to give Jackson opportunities, despite Jackson routinely showing that he wasn't as committed as the rest of the team while being one of the Chargers' highest paid players. Telesco called the move a "swing and a miss."
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Things came to a head in Week 4 when Jackson refused to enter against the Raiders, per an October report from NFL Network. He repeatedly refused to enter the game with his shoelaces remaining untied despite his team needing him to fill in for Michael Davis in the third quarter when he injured his ankle.
Many within the organization believed Jackson approached practices with a “lackadaisical” attitude and didn’t respond well to coaching, per ESPN. It was just an overall blunder and Telesco took the blame for it.
