UPDATE: Just after we published this post, J.C. Jackson was added to the Pro Bowl ballot on Wednesday morning.
The New England Patriots chose not to put the NFL’s interceptions leader, J.C. Jackson, on the Pro Bowl ballot.
Weird, right?
So we reached out to the team to ask why.
“We listed the two cornerbacks who have started the most games at cornerback and who have the longest tenure, Jason McCourty (9) and Stephon Gilmore (6),” a Patriots spokesperson said Wednesday. “If we could list a third CB, we would have listed JC Jackson (4) or Jonathan Jones (6), but you asked to list the 11 defensive starters.”
Does that pass the sniff test? After all, Jackson is headed for restricted free agency in 2021. It’s possible the Patriots are trying to decrease his value ahead of that contract negotiation by attempting to lower the odds he makes the Pro Bowl.
Let’s debate it. Was this a case of Belichickian ruthlessness? Or are the Patriots being genuine?
