Five New England Patriots Who Won't Be Back in 2024

J.C. Jackson

The Patriots re-acquired J.C. Jackson in the middle of the season after he massively underperformed for the Chargers. The reunion did not go well. While Los Angeles paid most of Jackson's salary for the season, he was subpar when on the field for the Pats. Worse, he was a big-time distraction off of it. He was benched on several occasions due to disciplinary issues and did not set foot on the field after Week 13. A classic Belichick swing at an undervalued asset turned out badly.

Jackson is on this list because he signed a five-year, $82 million deal with the Chargers only two years ago. However, the next three seasons of the contract are not guaranteed. New England can cut Jackson as soon as the league year starts in March and save $14 million with zero cap hit. The Patriots will absolutely do that. Could they re-sign Jackson? Perhaps. But Mayo has enough on his plate with instilling a new culture after 20 years of Belichickian fear. He doesn't need a problem player along with that. Jackson very well might be out of the league next year.