With how good the Chargers defense looked against the Raiders on Sunday, you’d be forgiven if the thought of J.C. Jackson suiting up briefly left your mind.
The star cornerback has been out for the past few weeks as he recovers from ankle surgery, with a Thursday matchup against the Chiefs looming.
Asked about Jackson’s status postgame, head coach Brandon Staley said, “he looks good. We’re excited. And he’s still day-to-day, but we’re excited, trending positive.”
Jackson did work out Sunday morning with the team in pregame preparation, and there have been numerous other reports that he’s been seen sprinting to and from the locker room and training facility in practice.
Staley has also said that Jackson will be ready to play as soon as the surgery wound heals. That time appears to be coming soon, with Staley saying, “could he have played today? Maybe. A couple of guys came to me pregame and said, ‘Hey, he looks good.’”
Ultimately, no matter what the Chargers say, they’ll be cautious with Jackson. Staley has always preached the importance of staying healthy, and this is a team with championship aspirations.
If they’re confident that Asante Samuel Jr. and Michael Davis will get the job done for another week, there’s no reason to rush Jackson up to speed to play Thursday.
But Staley did say it’s a “higher percentage than it was today” that Jackson suits up. Whether that means Jackson’s status is just updated from doubtful to questionable or from doubtful to a full participant remains to be seen.
Either way, Jackson’s debut in powder blue is on the horizon.