Cardinals, WR Zay Jones Reunite

It is unclear if Jones will join the Cardinals’ roster or practice squad, but this will be his third year in a row with the organization. Jones hasn’t seen regular-season action since he tore his Achilles in the Cardinals’ Week 10 loss to the Seahawks last November. While Jones recovered quickly enough to sign with the Texans in August, they released him when they finalized their initial 53-man roster on Aug. 30. The 31-year-old went unsigned between then and Tuesday.

Jones, whom the Bills took 37th overall in the 2017 draft, has put together an inconsistent nine-year career. The former East Carolina star scored a career-high seven touchdowns in his second season, but the Bills traded him to the Raiders for a fifth-round pick in his third year.

Although Jones wasn’t especially productive as a Raider, a 47-catch, 546-yard showing in 2021 persuaded the Jaguars to give him a three-year, $24MM deal during the ensuing offseason. The gamble paid off at first, as Jones played 16 games in the first year of the contract and set personal bests in receptions (82) and yards (823). He also found the end zone five times. Knee and femur injuries limited Jones to nine games and 34 catches in 2023, though, and the Jaguars wound up releasing him with a year left on his pact.

During his first two years in Arizona, Jones combined for 15 absences because of a six-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy in 2024 and last season’s injury. In 19 games with the Cardinals, Jones has caught 20 passes for 267 yards and no scores. In his return to the desert, Jones could replace fellow receiver Jalen Brooks, who will undergo season-ending wrist surgery. The Cardinals placed Brooks on injured reserve on Tuesday.