Patriots Agree to Deal With Intriguing WR

The New England Patriots need receiving help more than any other team in the NFL, and they have plenty of cap space to address the issue this offseason.

But is it possible that some of their answers are actually already in house?

The Patriots got an early start to the offseason this week, re-signing wide receiver JaQuae Jackson, via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Jackson, who played his collegiate football at Rutgers, went undrafted in 2024 but landed with the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent. He was waived shortly after and then was claimed by New England.

During Jackson's preseason debut, he caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Milton III. Unfortunately, the following week, the 25-year-old suffered an ankle injury that resulted in him hitting the injured reserve list.

Evidently, the Pats saw enough out of Jackson to decide to give him another chance in 2025, and given how bad their receiving corps was this past season, why not?

Jackson actually began his collegiate career on a Division II team, playing for California University of Pennsylvania. He then transferred to Rutgers in 2023, where he caught 22 passes for 361 yards and a touchdown on the season.

At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Jackson is certainly intriguing and could ultimately fight for a spot on the Patriots' wide receiver depth chart next season.

Of course, New England is surely hoping it does not have to rely on Jackson. The Pats are widely viewed as threats to steal Tee Higgins away from the Cincinnati Bengals, and even if they don't land Higgins, there are plenty of other options the Patriots can explore both via free agency and trades.

New England can also look to invest some draft capital in wide out help.