Patriots: 3 players fighting for long-term contracts in 2021
By Jerry Trotta
1. JC Jackson
JC Jackson seemed poised to sign a long-term deal this offseason after he was one of the most productive cornerbacks in the NFL last year. However, the Patriots surprised everyone when they placed a second-round tender on the former undrafted gem.
That move ran the risk of Jackson signing with another team, but when push came to shove, he ended up signing the tender and he wasn’t offered a deal from another team. Doing so means Jackson will hit unrestricted free agency next offseason.
The Patriots would be out of their minds to let it reach that point, but Jackson will need to replicate the dominance he enjoyed in 2020 to confirm his future in Foxborough. For context, he finished second in the league with nine interceptions, to go with 40 tackles,13 passes defended and three fumble recoveries.
JC Jackson’s future with the Patriots will hinge on his play in 2021.
We’d argue that Jackson should have already signed a long-term deal, but the Patriots really couldn’t afford to do so after their free agent splurge. It also isn’t in their nature to extend players before they have to, so fans should consider that, too.
The bottom line is that Jackson will be playing for his Patriots future in 2021. That might sound daunting to some fans, but we have the utmost confidence in a player who’s managed 100 tackles, 17 INTs and 30 pass breakups over his first three seasons.
