J.C. Jackson is exactly what every NFL coach and executive wishes they could recreate: take an undrafted rookie and turn him into one of the best players at their position in the NFL.
The beauty of a transformation like Jackson’s is that his salary is rent-controlled, so he becomes one of the best discounts in the league — not just one of the best players. The problem with that, however, is that it can make for accounting issues when the time comes to pay him. And that time has come, with Jackson set to enter unrestricted free agency in 2022.
When he first emerged as a starter, Jackson was the replacement for Malcolm Butler as the CB2 behind Stephon Gilmore. But then Jackson proved he could also replace Gilmore, so the Patriots let him do just that. With Gilmore missing time due to injuries over 2020 and 2021, the Patriots promoted Jackson permanently into the CB1 spot by trading away Gilmore.
That’s the natural course for the Patriots, who have somehow managed to have one of the best defensive backfields in the NFL for roughly a decade, going back to when they had Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner and Logan Ryan in 2014. Belichick has shown a natural aptitude for developing young defensive backs, particularly at cornerback. So he hasn’t had to pay many of the Patriots’ stars at the position for longer than one contract. They’ve always found a way to plug and play young talent while taking elite free-agent talent and making those players even better than they’ve ever been (Revis, Gilmore).
Belichick is probably betting that he can do it again without Jackson — even without an obvious successor in the pipeline after whiffs in the draft on cornerbacks Cyrus Jones and Joejuan Williams.
Belichick’s overarching ability to generate CB talent is why he won’t sign Jackson to a long-term extension in 2022. It’s far more likely he strings Jackson along with the franchise tag for 2022 — and then lets him hit free agency in 2023, when Jackson will likely get rewarded with contract offers which the Patriots choose not to match. That’s what the Patriots did with guard Joe Thuney, a uniquely gifted player. That is the natural progression in New England, where Belichick prefers to develop players into bargains (Thuney, Butler, Adam Butler, Trey Flowers, Nate Solder, Jamie Collins, Chandler Jones) and let them move on when they’re not anymore.
It’s only when a player is 1) the best at their position, 2) a leader in the locker room and 3) a perfect fit for the team from a cultural perspective that they get that big second or even third contract. Tom Brady, Dont’a Hightower and Devin McCourty are the most obvious and recent examples.
So it feels like Jackson and the Patriots are destined for a breakup, whether in 2022 or 2023. The longer he plays at this high level, the less likely it is for him to play elsewhere.
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