J.C. Jackson on lost time with Chargers: ‘I still gotta prove … I’m still Mr. INT’

J.C. Jackson said Tuesday he hopes to be ready for the start of Chargers training camp as he continues to work his way back from a ruptured patellar tendon.

And that’s not all the veteran cornerback said. Jackson explained in blunt terms how rough the 2022 season was for him.

“I felt like [expletive],” he explained. “I hadn’t done anything. Got hurt. And I just got paid. I mean, I still gotta prove to my teammates and to myself that I’m still ‘Mr. INT.’ I didn’t do [expletive] last year.”

Jackson was the Chargers’ biggest free-agent signing in March 2022 when he received a five-year deal that guaranteed him $40 million and was worth up to $82.5 million.

But he missed the start of the season after having a surgical procedure on his right ankle in August to address a pre-existing issue that was causing him discomfort.

After returning in Week 2, Jackson sat out the Chargers’ next game before coming back to start the next four games. But in Week 6 against Denver, he struggled so badly that he was benched.

A week later, Jackson tore the patellar tendon in his right knee against Seattle late in the first half. He had surgery — performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache — and missed the remainder of the season.

Jackson said he was given a seven- to eight-month recovery timeline, that window arriving as the Chargers conducted the first of two days of minicamp in Costa Mesa.

“I’m right on track,” Jackson said.

He said he is scheduled to meet with ElAttrache on Monday with the hope of being medically cleared before the Chargers begin training camp at the end of July.

Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson wasn’t on the field long in the 2022 season. He injured his knee in October.

(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)

“I’m expecting to come out here and practice every day,” Jackson said. “That’s how I’m taking it. I’m going to be ready for training camp. I’m going to be ready for Week 1. … Whenever the doctor says I’m clear, I’m going to be ready.”

To this point, Jackson’s on-field work has been limited to individual drills conducted under the supervision of team trainers.

Given the difficulty he experienced transitioning after four seasons with New England, Jackson said the forced downtime has allowed him to establish a better understanding of coach Brandon Staley’s system.

Along with his rehabilitation, Jackson said he has been meeting with coaches and breaking down film throughout the offseason “so it can slow down for me this year.”

“It gave me time to learn the system, to get to know my players, to be around the facility more,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been doing with this time. It’s going to help me a lot this year.”

During his time with the Patriots, Jackson led the NFL with 25 interceptions and earned the reputation of being capable to cover the NFL’s top wide receivers one-on-one.

He finished with zero interceptions, however, and only two passes knocked away in his five games in 2022.

“Fundamentally, we’re asking him to do the things that he’s done his whole career,” Staley said. “I think it’s just getting that comfort zone of being around the guys that you play with. It’s not an individual sport.

“I think that people underestimate the transition for players because it’s much more challenging in football to transition to a new team. … I’m confident that in training camp, once he gets to working with his teammates, that he’ll be able to showcase the real player that he is.”

A healthy and better-equipped Jackson would give the Chargers the option of playing Asante Samuel Jr. inside, increasing the depth and versatility of their secondary.

Ekeler back on field

Running back Austin Ekeler joined his teammates on the field for the first this offseason Tuesday for the start of mandatory minicamp. Ekeler, as has become his custom, previously worked out on his own.

Ekeler also recently was involved in a contract disagreement that was resolved when the Chargers’ added $1.75 million in incentives to his deal, which expires after this season.

Wide receiver Mike Williams also was present after not being seen in recent weeks during the portions of practice open to the media.

Ekeler and Williams are scheduled to talk with the media Wednesday.

Etc.

Among the Chargers who did not practice were receivers Quentin Johnston, Joshua Palmer and Jalen Guyton, who is coming off a season-ending knee injury. The injuries for Johnston and Palmer are undisclosed. … Defensive linemen Austin Johnson and Otito Ogbonnia also did not practice as they continue to recover from knee injuries. … The Chargers promoted associate athletic trainer Marco Zucconi to a newly established role: director of player health and performance. They hired Sal Lopez to be their new head athletic trainer. He had been an assistant with Tennessee.