Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have been patching together a secondary since rookie Christian Gonzalez was lost for the season with a shoulder injury. Trading with the Los Angeles Chargers to bring J.C. Jackson back to Gillette Stadium “hasn’t been the answer,” according to Bleacher Report, with the site recommending Amani Oruwariye as an alternative.
Oruwariye is currently on the practice squad for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he may already be well known to Belichick. The 27-year-old played two seasons for Belichick’s former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia with the Detroit Lions from 2019-20.
Ironically, Oruwariye’s best season came once Patricia left town in 2021, when he intercepted six passes. Those ball-hawking skills could be useful for the Patriots at a position that’s “been a mess this season,” with B/R also stating “the answers—outside of Christian Gonzalez—aren’t on the roster yet.”
Any move to add to a defense that’s still winning games for a struggling Patriots’ offense can only help Belichick’s team.
Sending a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft to the Chargers for Jackson looked like the ideal way to replace Gonzalez. The latter landed on injured reserve after Week 4’s 38-3 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys.
Jackson had spent four seasons with the Patriots and become something of an interception machine. He picked off 25 passes from 2018-21.
A knack for getting his hands on the football, combined with an insider’s knowledge of Belichick’s man-based coverage schemes, made Jackson look like a bargain in trade. Things haven’t worked out that way during his second tour in New England.
Instead, Jackson has made six starts in eight games and allowed 394 yards on 29 completions, per Pro Football Reference. Jackson’s continued to flounder, even while the rest of the Pats’ defense has played tough.
The corner was shaky throughout Week 14’s 21-18 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jackson was beaten by Diontae Johnson in single coverage for a touchdown in the second quarter.
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