Cornerback JC Jackson, one of the Los Angeles Chargers’ valuable offseason acquisitions, will miss 2-4 weeks after undergoing ankle surgery, the team announced Tuesday.
Jackson didn’t hit a fastball in the preseason and missed Monday’s practice for undisclosed reasons. Tuesday’s news made his case clear, and it also means Los Angeles may start the regular season without a top guard.
The Chargers meet the team that sent them into the offseason last season, the Las Vegas Raiders, in a divisional game in Week 1 on September 11. Jackson’s current schedule means he could be sidelined until Week 3, although the shorter side of that window also leaves open the possibility of a return for the season opener. If Jackson does miss the first two games of the season, it would mean the Chargers would be forced to play two major divisional games without Jackson (week 2 includes a date with the Kansas City Chiefs), which Expected to be a competitive game
After failing to make the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion last year, Los Angeles has built positive momentum in the offseason thanks in part to Jackson Added passer Khalil Mack through free agency and trade. Losing Jackson for 4 weeks would dampen that momentum. However, the NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. The Chargers will have to remind themselves of that fact as they wait for Jackson to return.
