The New England Patriots have been officially eliminated from contention for a playoff spot with a 3-11 record, and they will soon need to start making some difficult decisions about their roster and other personnel.
There have been reports that they will move on from longtime head coach and de facto general manager Bill Belichick once the regular season wraps up, but one decision has already been made.
Per Ian Rapoport, the Patriots have placed cornerback J.C. Jackson on the reserve/non-football illness list, which makes it unlikely he will suit up again this season.
The #Patriots placed CB J.C. Jackson on the reserve/non-football illness list. This likely ends his season.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 19, 2023
Jackson, who went undrafted in 2018, played his first four seasons with New England, and he was a contributor to their last Super Bowl championship team when he was a rookie.
He made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and led the NFL with 23 passes defended while intercepting eight passes that year.
The Los Angeles Chargers signed him as a free agent the following March, and it was thought they had just assembled a potentially Super Bowl-caliber squad.
But they fell well short of that goal as a number of their players battled injuries, including Jackson, who was limited to five games that year.
When he was healthy, he struggled to play up to his previous standards, and he was even benched at one point of the season.
In early October of this season, L.A. traded Jackson back to the Patriots, and since then, he has registered six passes defended in eight contests.
At age 28, one would think Jackson is definitely young enough to return to a Pro Bowl level of play very soon.
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