In the wake of seeing his playing time reduced during yesterday’s loss, Jack Jones has seen his time with the Patriots come to an end. The second-year cornerback has been waived, his agent confirmed on Monday.
Jones played just 10 snaps in New England’s loss in Germany to the Colts yesterday, a continuation of disciplinary measures taken against him. The 25-year-old was benched to start the previous contest along with veteran J.C. Jackson, the latter of whom remained stateside for the international contest. Jackson is a possibility to suit up for the team’s next game, but that will not be the case for Jones.
A fourth-round pick in 2022, Jones entered the league with a history of disciplinary issues dating back to his time at college. He managed to show promise at Arizona State, however, and he delivered an encouraging performance in his rookie season with 30 tackles, a pair of interceptions and one forced fumble. A hamstring injury led to an IR stint and delayed his 2023 debut, however.
Jones saw a regression in his coverage statistics compared to last year, allowing a 78% completion percentage and 101 passer rating as the closest defender. Those on-field struggles were coupled with another (albeit brief) legal matter. Jones was arrested in July for attempting to bring two loaded firearms onto a plane, but charges on that front have since been dropped. It remains to be seen if any league action will be taken in the wake of his plea agreement being worked out.
Jones will be available to all NFL teams via the waiver wire. In the event he goes unclaimed, he will be free to sign with any interested party. Given his age and promise shown in 2022, it will be worth watching closely how aggressively teams are in attempting to add him. In a statement, Jones’ agent expressed (via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network) his willingness to make “an immediate contribution to his next team as soon as Sunday.”
Meanwhile, the Patriots will proceed with a shorthanded CB group. First-round Christian Gonzalez is out for the year with a torn labrum, and Marcus Jones finds himself on IR. Their absences, along with that of Jackson, left a number of relatively new, inexperienced faces in the secondary in Week 10. Regardless of whether Jackson (whom New England re-acquired via trade this season) returns to the lineup in the near future, they will be without Jones moving forward unless he clears waivers and remains in the organization via the practice squad.
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