Authorities reach decision in Zay Jones domestic battery case

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones was arrested last year and charged with domestic battery, but prosecutors have decided not to pursue the case.

According to court records obtained by ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, the Florida state attorney’s office on Tuesday dropped the charge of misdemeanor domestic battery against Jones. The 28-year-old’s arraignment, which was scheduled for Wednesday, has been canceled.

Assistant State Attorney Marie Theresa Ryan wrote in a disposition notice on Tuesday that the evidence has been reviewed and she “declines to prosecute this defendant for these charges.”

Jones was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 13 following an alleged incident with the mother of his child. A police report stated that a woman at the scene told officers that she and Jones got into an altercation when she was picking up her and Jones’ child from Jacksonville to take the child back to Orlando. Some details were redacted, but the report stated that police “observed several small scratches” on the alleged victim’s neck that were “consistent with marks from a fingernail.”

You can read more about the alleged incident here.

Jones missed eight games last season due to a knee injury and finished with 34 catches for 321 yards and two touchdowns. He set career highs with 82 receptions and 823 receiving yards in 2022. The former ECU star is entering the final season of a three-year, $24 million contract.

Jones was also arrested in 2018 for public vandalism. He was seen in a video completely naked and acting erratically. The charges were eventually dropped for insufficient evidence.