Chargers Insider Speculates on LA's All-Pro Cornerbacks Start to The Season
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There are so many things to look forward to once your Chargers step on the field next Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. How will the offense look under new OC Kellen Moore? Will LA be able to stay healthy throughout the course of a 17-game season? And how has Brandon Staley improved from last season?
There are a ton of question marks for a loaded team, which is fair, but the biggest from all may be: How will J.C. Jackson look if he's ready by Week 1?
Jackson is still recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon in Week 7 of the 2022 season. He was ruled out for the remainder of the season, and he's still trying to get to 100% as of now. However, there are some rumblings about Jackson playing once the season gets going.
If Jackson is out there, that immediately bolsters the secondary and overall defense; however, just because he's out there doesn't mean we'll get the full J.C. experience. This is why Chargers' insider for The Athletic, Daniel Popper, says he wouldn't be surprised if we get the good Jackson or the Jackson that's working his way back from injury.
Jackson will turn 28 in November. But drawing parallels to one example is misguided. There just is not a big enough sample with this injury, so the range of outcomes for Jackson is vast. If he comes out playing at an All-Pro level, I would not be surprised. If he comes out struggling, I would not be surprised, either. That might seem like a weak answer, but that is truly where things stand.
If J.C. is healthy enough to be out there, so be it. If he's not, then he shouldn't try and rush it.
Jackson is vital for what they want to accomplish, and they'll need him at 100% to do so. He's coming off one of his worst seasons as a pro, so you know he wants to come out with a vengeance; we expect that from him, and we know he'll prove last season as a fluke.
We cannot wait till he's out there and prove he is among the best DBs this league has.
