Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco reportedly issued an apology to some of his players for a major free agent signing in 2022 that went down as a giant mess.
Last year, Telesco tried bolstering the Bolts’ secondary by signing ex-New England Patriots star cornerback J.C. Jackson to a five-year deal worth $82.5 million. Jackson saw the bench in a Monday night game against the Denver Broncos and played in five games before suffering a ruptured patellar tendon that ended his season.
After two games with the Bolts this year, Jackson was traded back to New England (along with a 2025 seventh-round selection) for a 2025 sixth-rounder.
According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, Telesco met with Chargers defensive backs in Week 6 and offered an apology for the failed Jackson free agent signing:
“Telesco stood in front of the group and began to apologize.
Telesco told the group that signing Jackson was a mistake, according to multiple team sources. He apologized for continuing to give Jackson opportunities, despite Jackson routinely showing that he wasn’t as committed as the rest of the team while being one of the Chargers’ highest paid players.
Telesco called the move a “swing and a miss.”
The apology was a shocking admission, but Telesco’s points weren’t a secret in the organization. Jackson struggled to be the player the Chargers thought they were getting after his four seasons in New England, which included a second-team All-Pro selection. In two seasons in Los Angeles, Jackson played seven games. He missed 14 of 22 games due to injuries and was benched in his final two games as a Charger.”
You almost never hear a GM admit their mistakes, but Telesco had good reason to be honest with his players here. Jackson became a new addition to a never-ending list of Patriots standouts who immediately flopped after leaving Foxborough for a lucrative free agent signing.
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Of course, Jackson can’t be blamed for the Chargers’ shortcomings on defense. He’s been gone for a month now, and yet the Bolts enter Monday night’s contest against the New York Jets as the No. 31 defense (390.9 yards allowed per game), On top of that, only nine teams are allowing more points per game than the Bolts (24.0).
Jackson’s play has improved since going back to New England, though, so the trade has at least worked out on his end.
