Patriots make telling decision on former Pro Bowl CB

The Patriots have their bye in Week 11, meaning Jackson's first chance to return to the field won't come until Nov. 26 when New England travels to take on the New York Giants in Week 12.

The University of Maryland product has had a rough stretch since initially leaving the Patriots to sign a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers in March 2022.

Jackson spent the first four seasons of his career with New England from 2018-21, helping the team win its most recent Super Bowl as a rookie, recording a high mark of nine interceptions in 2020 and making his lone Pro Bowl in 2021. Jackson was limited to five games in 2022 and allowed a career-worst 149.3 passer rating when targeted last season.

He played 44 snaps and had one interception and three passes defended in the Chargers' Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins and made three tackles and played 41 snaps in Week 2. Jackson was inactive in Week 3, and in the days after that contest, he said he was "confused" by his benching.

It was recently reported by ESPN's Kris Rhim that "many within the organization" felt that Jackson approached practices with a "lackadaisical" attitude and "didn't respond well to coaching." Rhim added that according to his Chargers sources, Jackson "refused to go in" during the team's Week 4 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders after he was benched for the first three quarters, informing the coaches "he wasn't warmed up enough."

Jackson ended up missing 14 of 22 games due to injuries during his tenure with Los Angeles.

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco apologized to members of the team's secondary recently for the failed 2022 free-agency signing of Jackson, calling the move a "swing and a miss."

He's also had legal troubles in recent months, including an arrest in December 2022 following a "non-violent family issue." More recently, there was a warrant issued for Jackson's arrest in September. The warrant came after he failed to appear in court for a probation violation hearing, which stemmed from a 2021 speeding arrest.

Jackson was traded to New England in early October ahead of Week 5 and has played in all five games since rejoining the franchise. He's made three starts and registered 14 combined tackles and three passes defended.