Patriots head coach Bill Belichick didn’t say whether cornerback J.C. Jackson would be in the lineup when he spoke to reporters at a Friday press conference, which meant we had to wait for the release of their inactive list on Sunday morning to find out.
That list is out and Jackson is not on it. That means he will be in uniform as the Patriots try for their second win of the season in a home game against the Saints.
Jackson was acquired in a trade with the Chargers on Thursday. He left New England for the AFC West club as a free agent in 2022, but did not play well and suffered a serious knee injury during his brief time in Los Angeles.
The Patriots are also getting cornerback Jonathan Jones back. He missed the last three games with an ankle injury and both corners will be needed to help fill the void left by Christian Gonzalez’s move to injured reserve this week.