Chargers’ J.C. Jackson Sounds Off on Benching: ‘What Else Do They Expect Me to Do?’

The cornerback is in the second year of a five-year contract.

Since the Chargers signed J.C. Jackson to a big contract last offseason, the cornerback has been a major disappointment for Los Angeles. In the last two seasons, Jackson has played in just seven games and recorded only three tackles and one interception.

The relationship between player and franchise came to a head on Sunday, when Jackson was inactive vs. the Vikings, despite being healthy. On Thursday, Jackson told the media that he wasn’t sure why he didn’t play.

“I don’t know, what else do they expect me to do?” Jackson said, via NFL.com. “I told coach (Brandon Staley) what else do you expect me to do? I’ve been doing everything.”

Jackson has dealt with injuries over the past few years and he suffered a ruptured patellar tendon last season. The cornerback said that he worked hard to return from his injury, but he still doesn’t know why the team doesn’t trust him.

“I came back from my injury pretty fast,” Jackson said. “I’ve been putting in extra work after practice, even in meeting rooms. The DBs every Friday we all meet to do extra film and being a good teammate, so I don’t know what it is. I’m still kind of confused and still don’t have answers to why I’m getting treated like this.”

After being undrafted out of Maryland, Jackson broke out with the Patriots, playing in 62 games over four seasons and totaling 158 tackles and 25 interceptions. The 27-year-old believes he still is the player that earned a five-year, $82 million deal in 2022.

“I know what I can do,” he said. “I know that I can help the team so it kind of frustrates me that I’m not starting and that coach has me sitting out, and I’m one of the best players on the team. I’m one of the best [defensive backs] that we have.”