Cardinals WR suspended five games

A second suspension was announced Friday afternoon. Cardinals wideout Zay Jones has been issued a five-game ban for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, as noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 

Jones was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge in November. That charge wound up being dropped in March, but the NFL typically conducts its own investigations into such situations. That proved to be the case for Jones, who will now see his Cardinals debut delayed by over a month.

The 29-year-old has spent time with three teams so far in his career, making 104 appearances and 67 starts. Jones was with the Jaguars in 2022 and ’23, and he recorded career highs in catches (82) and yards (823) during his first campaign in Jacksonville. Last season saw a step back in production and only nine games played, though, leading to his release.

The Jaguars made several receiver moves this offseason, bringing in Gabe Davis in free agency and selecting Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the draft. Those additions will help offset the departure of Calvin Ridley and the decision to part ways with Jones. The latter visited several teams before signing with the Cardinals on a one-year, $2.25M deal.

The former second-rounder was set to compete for a starting spot with second-year wideout Michael Wilson as the Cardinals prepare to use fourth-overall selection Marvin Harrison Jr. as their WR1. Friday’s news will leave Arizona — a team that lost Marquise Brown in free agency — shorthanded in the receiving corps during the fall. This ban will keep Jones sidelined for a notable stretch and undoubtedly hinder his market value next spring.

Arizona also has the likes of Mack Wilson, Zach Pascal and Greg Dortch on the receiver depth chart. Expectations will be high for Harrison and Wilson early in the season, but Jones’ return will provide experience to the pass-catching group. The time at which that takes place — pending a successful appeal — will not come until October, however.