Although cornerback Adam Jones was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors and a felony (the latter of which was later dropped) earlier this year, Bengals owner/general manager Mike Brown is standing behind the 10-year pro, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Based on Brown’s comments, it sounds exceedingly unlikely the Bengals will part ways with Jones this offseason.
“It’s a bigger picture than one incident,” said Brown. “And I get to be the one that sits in the chair to decide [Jones’ fate]. So I have chosen to decide it the way I am deciding it. I’m going to give him a chance. I hope it comes out right for him, for his family and for us. I know there are critics. I understand. But that is a full answer.
“I’m not condoning his actions. They were in all honesty embarrassing. He was out of control. He misbehaved. He made a fool of himself. No one knows that more than he does…He knows full well what he has done to himself. He regrets it. But it’s been made into a public issue and maybe I am overly tolerant. If so, so be it.”
Jones has a history of off-field incidents here, but it’s only fair to note that — until recently — Jones had stayed out of trouble for a good amount of time. But his most recent incident, which included an alleged assault, disorderly conduct, and an extremely unbecoming encounter while in police custody, was especially disturbing, and the Bengals understandably hadn’t made a decision on Jones’ future with the club as of late January.
Now, Jones figures to return to Cincinnati as a starting corner opposite the recently re-signed Dre Kirkpatrick. Jones, 33, posted a down season in 2016, grading as only the league’s No. 37 cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. But most of the Bengals’ cornerback unit is inexperienced, so Jones will add a veteran presence to a group that includes Darqueze Dennard, Josh Shaw, and Willam Jackson III. Jones will count for $8.167MM on Cincinnati’s salary cap in 2017
