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Former Los Angeles Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson has been cut by the New England Patriots, according to ESPN's Field Yates. The decision comes less than six months after the Chargers had traded Jackson back to the Patriots.
The Patriots have cut CB J.C. Jackson.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 1, 2024
Jackson turned out to be a massive free agency bust for the Chargers, under the old front office regime led by Tom Telesco. Los Angeles had signed him to a ginormous five-year, $82.5 million contract in March of 2022, but Jackson never panned out.
During his first season with the Chargers in 2022, he only played in five games before a patellar-tendon rupture ended his season pre-maturely. He returned in 2023, but struggled in pass coverage. The Chargers benched him for two games before they traded him and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Patriots for just a sixth-round pick.
Not only did Jackson struggle on the field with the Chargers, including allowing the highest passer-rating when targeted in his career, he faced off the field issues. In December of 2022, Jackson was arrested after a non-violent family issue and another warrant for his arrest came in September of 2023.
Prior to joining the Chargers, Jackson appeared to be a good younger cornerback. IN 2020, Jackson intercepted nine passes, recovered three fumbles and recorded 14 pass break ups. In 2021, he snatched another eight interceptions, forced a fumble and led the NFL with 23 pass break ups.
It's unclear if any team will take a chance on Jackson again, but it's unlikely he'll get the same huge contract he did with the Chargers.
More must-reads:
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders could be losing valuable opportunity after injury update
Just when it seemed everything was going right for Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterback caught an unlucky break on Wednesday. The 23-year-old QB was sidelined during Wednesday's joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering an oblique injury. Per Kelsey Russo of the team website, the 2025 fifth-round pick won't practice Thursday and is considered day-to-day. He is deemed unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason game against Philadelphia, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network. Before Wednesday's practice, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed rookie QB Dillon Gabriel will start against Philadelphia as long as he's healthy enough to play. The 2025 third-rounder missed Cleveland's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers because of a hamstring issue. However, Stefanski previously said Sanders would get more reps this week after a solid preseason debut. The former Colorado Buffaloes star received the start in the 30-10 win over Carolina, going 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdown passes. Not playing against Philadelphia could disrupt Sanders' momentum. More importantly, it may eliminate another opportunity for him to overtake Gabriel in Cleveland's four-way QB competition. Sanders is listed as the Browns QB4 behind Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco on the team's unofficial depth chart. Despite questions about Gabriel's size (5-foot-11, 205 pounds), the coaching staff seems to favor him over Sanders. Earlier this offseason, Gabriel's processing speed reportedly impressed Browns coaches, giving him an edge over Sanders. The former Oregon Ducks star also received reps with the first-team offense during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, while his fellow rookie didn't. If Gabriel plays well against the Eagles, that would continue to affirm the coaching staff's confidence in the 24-year-old QB. Neither Sanders nor Gabriel is expected to be the Week 1 starter for the Browns. It's likely going to be Flacco, who helped Cleveland make the playoffs in 2023 when he went 4-1 during a late-season stretch. Still, another solid preseason showing could help Sanders position himself to replace 40-year-old Flacco in the future. With the setback, it may take more time to climb the depth chart.
3 Ways Craig Berube Is Changing the Maple Leafs’ DNA
When Craig Berube took over behind the Toronto Maple Leafs bench in May 2024, it wasn’t just about swapping one coach for another. Toronto brought him in to change the way the team thinks, plays, and competes. Less about tweaks, more about rewiring the team’s DNA. DNA Change 1: The Maple Leafs Have Moved From Star Reliance to Team Accountability For years, the Maple Leafs leaned on pure offensive talent to cover for defensive lapses. Berube’s not buying it. Under his watch, everyone—from Auston Matthews to the last guy on the fourth line—is held to the same standard. If you don’t compete shift to shift, you won’t get minutes. That doesn’t mean the stars won’t shine, but they’ll have to do it while committing to a 200-foot game. Matthews’ defensive reads are now a feature, not a bonus. William Nylander is being pushed to round out his play. And role players like Matthew Knies or Nicolas Roy have a clear mandate: excel in your lane. DNA Change 2: The Maple Leafs Have Moved to Structure Over Chaos In the Berube era, the Maple Leafs won’t be the same freewheeling team fans have known. Expect layers of structure—consistent forechecking, five-man defensive units, and smarter puck management. It’s hockey built for playoff survival, not just regular-season fireworks. That might mean fewer highlight-reel plays, but it’s the kind of style that doesn’t break under pressure in May. Of course, the jury remains out on the success of this venture. DNA Change 3: The Maple Leafs Now See Culture as a Competitive Edge Perhaps Berube’s biggest shift is intangible: culture. He’s stripping away the drama and replacing it with clarity and purpose. In St. Louis, that approach turned a last-place roster into Stanley Cup champions in 2019. In Toronto, it’s already giving young players and depth guys a clear role, while keeping the stars invested in the same system. That unity—between front office, coaching staff, and players—is something the Maple Leafs have chased for years. If Matthews can emerge as a leader in this venture, all the better. The Maple Leafs Might Not Win Pretty, But … The 2025–26 Maple Leafs might not always win pretty, but if Berube’s changes stick, they’ll be harder to play against, more resilient in tight games, and less likely to beat themselves. And that, in Toronto, might be the real breakthrough.
Celtics' sale comes with significant and surprising twists
The sale of the Celtics to an investor group led by William Chisholm has received unanimous approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors, the league announced. The results of the vote were never really in doubt, but it’s significant that there was no opposition to Chisholm’s purchase. The league states that the deal is expected to be finalized soon. Chisholm, a Massachusetts native and lifelong Celtics fan, reached a tentative agreement in March to purchase the franchise for $6.1 billion, which set a record at the time as the largest amount ever paid for a North American sports team. That number has since been exceeded by the sale of the Lakers for $10 billion. Chisholm submitted the highest offer among four groups that were bidding for the team. According to Brian Robb of MassLive, his other stakeholders include Aditya Mittal, Robert Hale and Bruce A. Beal Jr., along with Sixth Street, a private investment firm. Chisholm’s group will obtain a 51% stake in the team from the Grousbeck family in the first phase of the sale and will purchase the remaining shares in 2028. When the sale was first announced, Wyc Grousbeck intended to remain in his role as the team’s governor through the 2027-28 season. However, in a surprising twist, a report on Tuesday indicates that’s no longer possible because Grousbeck will control less than the 15% minimum stake that the NBA requires for the person who holds that position. Instead, Chisholm will become lead governor as soon as the sale is official with Grousbeck serving as alternate governor and CEO through the 2027-28 season. Chisholm will take over the Celtics during a time of transition after years of being one of the NBA’s elite teams. Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury coupled with a second-round playoff exit have placed an emphasis on cost-cutting measures to lower the team’s tax bill and escape second-apron restrictions. Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet are already gone from last year’s roster, and more money-saving moves may take place before the new season begins.
Sauce Gardner Injury: What We Know About Jets Star CB
The New York Jets are being hit with injuries left and right so far this summer and there’s no end in sight. Recently, the guys to watch have been rookie tight end Mason Taylor and three-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams. They aren’t the only ones, though. For example, quarterback Tyrod Taylor is also injured right now. It’s not uncommon to see injuries pop up throughout the summer, but the Jets have been hit hard and that trend continued on Wednesday. The Jets hit the practice field and superstar cornerback Sauce Garnder wasn't a part of the action. Afterward, head coach Aaron Glenn shared why. Sauce Gardner out of practice; What's next for the Jets? "Sauce wasn't out there today," Glenn said. "He has some calf soreness. Continue to evaluate him and see where he's at." Any time the calf gets brought up, it's at least somewhat concerning. The reason for this is that any soft tissue injury is tricky because you never know how one person's body will react. If the calf injury isn't fully taken care of right away, it could lead to Achilles injuries, like we've seen in the past. With calf injuries, it's better to be cautious, which is what the Jets seem to be doing. It doesn't sound like the team is overly concerned right now about the injury itself, but this will be something to monitor throughout the rest of camp in general. Reports out of New York have been positive about Gardner all summer to this point. Last year, he had a somewhat down year by his standards, but everything has been positive about him throughout camp. The team clearly loves him, as shown through his four-year, $120.4 million contract extension. If he were to miss any time, that would be devastating for the Jets' new-look defense, but that's getting ahead. Right now, the facts are that Gardner missed practice with calf soreness. Now, we wait to see what the team says next about the matter. Injuries are popping up left and right and New York already can't catch a break.
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