Patriots Cornerback J.C. Johnson missed Sunday’s matchup vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, with his absence blindsiding his teammates.
The CB was listed as active 90 minutes ahead of kickoff yet did not appear on the field and wasn’t seen on the sideline.
The Patriots did not offer an explanation.
“He wasn’t available,” head coach Bill Belichick said. “Just leave it at that.”
According to Karen Guregian of MassLive.com, Jackson was unable to play because of a “personal matter coming up.”
The JPAFootball account on X has since reported that he is dealing with mental health issues, citing the player’s agent.
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Other Pats defenders said they were expecting Jackson to play and it doesn’t appear that they knew why he didn’t.
The CB has had a rough 2023 as he had a warrant issued for his arrest while he was with the Los Angeles Chargers in September and was traded to NE the following month. He was benched by Belichick back in November for reasons the head coach did not explain.
