Every NFL franchise makes mistakes, and the Los Angeles Chargers have certainly made their fair share over the years. Some might say Ryan Leaf counts for multiple offenses, but we're not here to rehash that behemoth of a blunder for the umpteenth time.
No, today, the focus is on J.C. Jackson, who, like Leaf, seemed like a good idea when the Bolts first brought him to town but ultimately proved to be a massive mistake.
Now, we could sit here all day and opine on what went wrong with Jackson's short stint in La La Land. Instead, though, how about we hear from someone who was much closer to the situation, that being former fan favorite Breiden Fehoko, who recently offered up his thoughts.
Fehoko, who spent three seasons with Los Angeles after signing as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2020, spent some time on his X account Monday discussing Chargers-related matters.
And in addition to defending former head coach Brandon Staley, the national champion nose tackle got into his ex-teammate a bit in response to an opinion on how things with Jackson would've gone differently had current Chargers defensive coordinator Barry Minter been running the show then.
lol to be fair JC a dawg but he just never was a scheme fit for what we did on defense. JC the type a guy where you tell him “hey you got this guy the whole game cover him” we did to much match responsibilities in LA.
— Breiden Fehoko (@BreidenFehoko) June 30, 2025
It's safe to say that not everyone would necessarily agree with Fehoko's assessment, but if that's his opinion, he's undoubtedly entitled to it.
J.C. Jackson played just seven games for the Chargers after signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract
Signed by the New England Patriots as a free agent after going undrafted out of Maryland in 2018, Jackson worked his way up Bill Belichick's depth chart over the next few years and had a career season in 2021, earning Second-Team All-Pro honors after amassing 58 total tackles, a league-best 23 passes defended, and eight interceptions.
Clearly in need of help at cornerback, the Chargers inked him to a five-year, $82.5 million contract during the 2022 offseason, and it didn't take long for the front office to regret that decision.
For starters, Jackson opted to undergo ankle surgery that August, which seemingly came out of nowhere and forced him out of the entire preseason and LA's regular-season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. I'm not sure how his choice there had anything to do with the defensive scheme, but I digress.
He finally made his debut in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs but didn't play well, giving up what proved to be a crucial touchdown in a 27-24 loss. After sitting out the following week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he fared decently enough in victories over the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns but then got benched on Monday Night Football in a Week 6 win over the Denver Broncos.
Jackson still got the start against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7 but saw his season come to an end that day after suffering a non-contact patellar tendon rupture.
He started the first two games of the 2023 season but was benched in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings, refused to enter the game in the fourth quarter after being benched for the first three in Week 4 against the Raiders, and that was that.
Again, we're not quite sure how a defensive scheme plays into a poor attitude, but also again, Fehoko can say what he likes.
Four days later, Tom Telesco traded him back to the Patriots, also sending New England a 2025 seventh-round pick, and received a 2025 sixth-rounder in return. All in all, the seven games Jackson played for the Chargers, during which he recorded 18 tackles, five passes defended, and just one interception, cost the franchise $38.5 million.
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