J.C. Jackson, the New England Patriots cornerback, has been placed on the reserve/non-football illness list after his agent, Neil Schwartz, revealed that Jackson is dealing with mental health issues. The Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick, did not provide specific details about why Jackson was unavailable for Sunday"s game against the Chiefs, where he was expected to play but didn"t appear on the sideline.
Jackson, who returned to the Patriots in October after a trade with the Chargers, is now away from the team indefinitely. His first stint with the Patriots from 2018-2021 was successful, recording 25 interceptions, but his time with the Chargers did not go as smoothly due to a patellar tendon injury.
Patriots put J.C. Jackson on non-football illness list while dealing with ‘mental health issues’ https://t.co/N7QxpYXGAR pic.twitter.com/FuUxWNkCRw
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) December 20, 2023
Issues continued during Jackson"s second stint with the Patriots, including a benching during a Week 9 game for missing curfew. Following the incident, he was asked to stay home for a week and did not join the team for a game in Germany against the Colts.
In a recent statement, Jackson expressed that he is working on improving his mental health, acknowledging the challenges athletes face beyond their on-field performances. This season, he contributed with 25 tackles and six passes defended in six starts for the Patriots.
