J.C. Jackson has no clue why he was benched by Los Angeles Chargers

In March of 2022, the Los Angeles Chargers signed Pro Bowl cornerback J.C. Jackson to a five-year, $82.5 million contract, in a strong indication that he’d have a major role in coach Brandon Staley’s defense.

Jackson had ankle surgery, which caused him to miss the team’s season opener, but he’d return to the starting lineup for Week 2. Four weeks later, Jackson was benched for Michael Davis ahead of a crucial Monday Night Football matchup with the Denver Broncos. Instead of playing 99 percent of the team’s snaps as he did in his first three games, Jackson only played 45 percent of the defensive snaps. That didn’t change the next week, where Jackson played 55 percent of the defensive snaps. Unfortunately he’d rupture the patellar tendon in that Week 7 loss and missed the rest of the season.

But Jackson got a fresh start with a new campaign and was back in the starting lineup to begin the year, playing 64.5 percent of the team’s snaps during the first two games. Then came Week 3, when the Chargers decided to leave Jackson off their active roster altogether.

While some would suggest Jackson’s been benched due to poor play, he has no clue what’s led to his suddenly reduced role.

“I don’t know, what else do they expect me to do? I told coach (Brandon Staley) what else do you expect me to do? I’ve been doing everything. I came back from my injury pretty fast. 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.”
J.C. Jackson on being confused about being benched

From Jackson’s perspective, it sounds like the sixth-year pro is putting in an extra effort to be as prepared as possible for each and every game. But it doesn’t seem like his lack of playing time is tied to a lack of preparation from game to game. Instead, it’s performance related.

Despite having an interception, Jackson has a pitiful 48.2 player grade according to Pro Football Focus this season. He’s allowed 19.2 yards per reception, leading to the 24th-worst coverage grade among cornerbacks at 47.1. But here’s a twist. Michael Davis, who’s played 115 snaps, hasn’t been any better. In fact, according to PFF, he’s been slightly worse, with a coverage grade of 46.7. Making matters worse, Davis has allowed a QB rating of 149.2 when targeted by opposing passers. That’s the fourth-worst mark in football according to PFF.

So it’s a bit understandable for Jackson to be frustrated, especially since he’s not playing well, but if the Chargers are just going to bench him in favor of another player who’s struggling just as much, where’s the upside?