Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson took the blame for his benching and provided an explanation for why Bill Belichick disciplined him. Jackson was benched for two possessions of the Washington game in Week 9, although Belichick initially denied that Jackson and fellow cornerback Jack Jones had been benched. Jackson then stayed home as a healthy scratch while the team traveled to Germany.
In an interview with Mark Daniels of masslive.com, Jackson admitted that he missed multiple bed checks at the Patriots’ team hotel on the Saturday night before the game in Washington. He stated that his absence from traveling with the team to Germany was a punishment for his behavior, and he accepted responsibility for the mistake. Jackson noted that he hoped to learn and grow from the experience and accepted the discipline without any hard feelings.
Jackson played two games with the Chargers before being benched for performance. The Chargers ultimately traded him to the Patriots, enabling Jackson to return to the team where he had developed and excelled as a Pro Bowl corner. Jackson emphasized that his goal was to be a part of the team and pointed out that it was important for him to understand that he was not bigger than the team and that he needed to follow the team’s protocols.
He explained that he missed the bed check because he wasn’t where he was supposed to be at the appointed time, and he viewed the situation as a reality check. Jackson expressed his desire to stay with the Patriots for the remainder of his career and to continue developing his leadership skills to be a positive influence on the team. Despite feeling disappointed by the disciplinary action, Jackson stated that he understood the consequences and was focused on working hard to ensure that such mistakes would not be repeated in the future.