Patriots' J.C. Jackson Expected to Be Available After Bye Week, Bill Belichick Says

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick suggested Friday that cornerback J.C. Jackson will be back with the team following their Week 11 bye.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Belichick said, "I think he'll be available," when asked about Jackson's status after Week 10, and when asked why Jackson did not travel with the team for Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts in Germany, Belichick added, "That was the decision. I don't want to get into it."

Rapoport previously reported that Jackson was not expected to join the team in Germany due to "questions about his reliability" and the desire to have him "return in a better place" after the bye.

New England originally signed Jackson as an undrafted free agent out of Maryland in 2018, but after four seasons with the team, which included one Pro Bowl selection and one Super Bowl win, he signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Injuries limited Jackson to just five games in his first season in L.A., and after appearing in just two games this season, he was traded back to the Pats along with a 2025 seventh-round pick for a 2025 sixth-round pick.

The Chargers made Jackson a healthy scratch in Week 3, and per NFL Network's Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the final straw that prompted the team to trade him was when Jackson refused to enter the game in Week 4 even after one of his teammates got injured and needed to come out.

Since the trade back to New England, Jackson has appeared in five games and started three of them, recording 14 tackles, three passes defended and no interceptions.

During his first stint with the Patriots, Jackson was a true ballhawk, recording 25 interceptions in four seasons, including nine in 2020 and eight in his Pro Bowl season of 2021.

Since then, Jackson has just one interception in his past 12 games, and he clearly hasn't been the same player as he was earlier in his career.

The hope in New England was seemingly that Jackson would thrive upon returning to familiar surroundings, but the decision to leave him at home in Week 10 suggests that he is still working through issues.

With Jackson not available for Sunday's game in Germany, the duo of Jonathan Jones and Jack Jones are poised to start at corner with Myles Bryant at nickel back and the likes of Shaun Wade and Alex Austin providing depth.

At 2-7, the Pats are in last place in the AFC East and likely need to either win out or lose one game the rest of the way in order to have a shot at the playoffs.

They will have a tough challenge on their hands Sunday against a 4-5 Colts team that is rapidly improving.

Following their Week 11 bye, the Patriots will return for a road game against the New York Giants in Week 12.