Raiders Sign Cornerback Jack Jones After Patriots Release

Jack Jones on Transition from College to the NFL | Patriots Training Camp Press Conference

The Las Vegas Raiders have signed cornerback Jack Jones. The signing came only one day after his release from the New England Patriots on Monday.

Jones had 13 games with the Patriots during his rookie season. The cornerback recorded one touchdown, two interceptions, six pass defenses, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.

Jones took to X (formerly Twitter) to post two folded hands emoji in response to his Patriots release.

A statement from New England coach Bill Belichick on Tuesday morning suggested that Jones and the Patriots had parted ways amicably.

“Talented player … Just felt like it was time to move on,” Belichick said of Jones’ exit from New England.

Jones reunited with his former coach, Antonio Pierce, upon joining the Raiders. Pierce had coached Jones twice in a row — first during high school at Long Beach Poly and later during college at Arizona State.

Off- and on-field incidents

Jones had problematic incidents during his tenure with the Patriots. Authorities arrested Jones in June 2023 at Boston Logan Airport after they had discovered two loaded guns in his luggage. However, the court later dropped these charges. In lieu of the charges, he agreed to serve 48 hours of community service and one year of pre-trial probation.

Jones faced a hamstring injury at the start of the season, leading the team to relegate him to a backup role. After recovering, Jones returned to the Patriots on October 21. However, post-injury, New England benched him during the first two drives of the game against Washington on November 5 as he had failed to follow the team’s pre-game curfew at the hotel.

The Patriots benched Jones again during the Week 10 game against the Indianapolis Colts. As the game ended 10-6 for the Colts, New England decided it was enough for them to have Jones onboard. The team only has 2-8 this season and a three-game loss streak.

Jones recorded two interceptions, seven pass breakups and 42 tackles in all his 18 career games.