One of the guys who quietly had a good preseason in 2024 was wide receiver JaQuae Jackson, and it looks like the Patriots would like to get a longer look at him.
According to NFL reporter Mike Garafolo, the Patriots have retained the exclusive-rights free agent heading into 2025.
Jackson stood out last summer at times, looking more like a gritty, shifty player with good hands. He made some plays during his time on the field and was among the more consistent guys in training camp, but he suffered a non-contact leg injury against Philadelphia in Week 2 of the preseason that ended his 2024 campaign before it ever got started.
Then-head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters after the game that, “The X-rays came back negative, and he’ll be getting an MRI this morning.” However, the news must not have been good as the former Rutgers standout ended up on injured reserve before the end of training camp, which sidelined him for the season.
The 25-year-old made one of the more notable plays of the summer, hauling in a 38-yard touchdown pass against the Panthers in their preseason opener from rookie quarterback Joe Milton after slipping behind the defense up the left sideline.
Milton fired a strike, with Jackson doing a nice job of pivoting back for the ball, catching it at about the Panthers’ 13 yard line while keeping his feet and accelerating up the field and into the end zone for the touchdown.
But just like that, the following week during that exhibition game against the Eagles, his season came to an end on an unfortunate injury that sidelined him for the year.
It was obvious that he gained a lot of respect in the locker room, as the reaction when he got hurt was significant. A massive number of players, including captains Jabrill Peppers, Deatrich Wise Jr., and others, surrounded the cart to show their support.
Fortunately for Jackson, it appears his football journey in New England isn’t over, and he’ll instead get another shot at running it back this summer.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
