Jack Jones

Dolphins Notes: McDaniel, Chubb, CBs, TEs

August 13th, 2025 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins gave Mike McDaniel an extension just before last season, but the team’s progress has stalled. Although McDaniel is the only Dolphins coach to engineer back-to-back playoff berths since Dave Wannstedt in the early 2000s, the team’s disappointing 8-9 record last season — as relationships with Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill deteriorated — brought signs of trouble for the three-year Miami HC.

Entering his fourth season, McDaniel is a respectable 28-23. He played the lead role in revitalizing Tua Tagovailoa, while the QB’s concussion issues have been the chief factor in limiting McDaniel’s offense, which fell from second in 2023 (when Tagovailoa started 17 games) to 22nd in 2024 (11 Tua starts). Regardless of how this situation has reached this point, some execs around the league view McDaniel as a candidate to be the first coach fired this year, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes.

The atypical HC personality is responsible for numerous memorable quotes during his tenure, but his style is among the reasons Ramsey wanted out. One anonymous GM described the Miami situation to La Canfora as a “ticking time bomb” and referred to the Dolphins letting Ramsey and Hill “walk all over them.”

That may be more on GM Chris Grier than McDaniel, as the veteran exec handed both lucrative contracts — Ramsey’s an extension, Hill’s a reworking — despite multiple seasons remaining on each’s previous deal. Neither contract thus far has worked out. Hill slogged through an injury-plagued season that ended turbulently — via the mercurial wideout’s trade request he eventually took back — while Ramsey maneuvered his way out after not justifying Grier’s extension. The Dolphins are eating a non-QB-record $35.86MM in dead money — spread across this year and next — from the Ramsey trade.

McDaniel’s extension runs through the 2028 season, but teams — as the Cardinals and Titans showed in the not-too-distant past — have shown they will pull the plug and eat coaching guarantees if the operation is flailing. In seeing the Dolphins as too player-friendly — a topic we covered in a Trade Rumors Front Office post earlier this year, as Grier also gave in to Xavien Howard‘s contract demands with multiple years left on his deal back in 2021 — many (via La Canfora) compared this Dolphins situation to Robert Saleh‘s Jets setup last year.

Like Woody Johnson, Stephen Ross has seen his influence — via the Tom Brady/Sean Payton tampering penalty and Brian Flores‘ tanking allegation — cause issues. And the Ramsey trade has accompanied a number of Hill offseason comments. McDaniel admonished Hill in April but indicated he still wanted the wideout back. That is a situation to monitor, but the Dolphins may need to start fast in order for McDaniel — and possibly Grier — to justify remaining at the helm.

Like Ramsey, the Dolphins have not seen Bradley Chubb justify a trade investment. Ramsey only cost the team a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long, but Chubb brought first- and fourth-round picks to the Broncos. The 2018 first-rounder missed all of last season with the ACL tear he sustained in Week 17 of the 2023 campaign. While Chubb is ready to return this season, the Dolphins gave the talented edge rusher a pay cut. Chubb will probably need to take another “massive” cut in 2026 if he is to avoid cap-casualty status, per the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly.

Chubb, 29, is now on a three-year, $54.49MM deal — one carrying only $8.7MM guaranteed. Chubb is due a $19.45MM 2026 base salary. The Dolphins would take on $23.86MM in dead money by cutting Chubb in 2026; that could be spread over two years via a post-June 1 designation. Grier used a post-June 1 cut to drop Howard and Byron Jones recently; the Dolphins also waited until after June 1 to trade Ramsey for cap purposes.

Elsewhere on Miami’s defense, a team with already-questionable cornerback talent lost Kader Kohou and Artie Burns for the season. Storm Duck and Kendall Sheffield started Miami’s first preseason game, and while the Herald’s Barry Jackson labels Duck as safe to make the 53-man roster, Sheffield could go from preseason starter to cut. Seemingly standing as a 50-50 proposition, Sheffield would be a wildly unusual Week 1 starter since he has not started a game since 2020. The Dolphins signed him to a one-year, $1.17MM deal in May.

The Dolphins also signed Jack Jones as a boundary option, though the former Patriots and Raiders starter has been waived twice in three years. Jones joined second-year UDFA Ethan Bonner as the second-teamers in Miami’s preseason opener. Cam Smith also factors in here, but he has barely played since being a 2023 second-round pick.

On offense, the Dolphins still have trade acquisition Darren Waller on the active/PUP list as he works his way back into shape following a 2024 retirement. Julian Hill, a former UDFA who started 11 games last season, had still been viewed as the frontrunner to start at tight end, per Jackson, but low-cost addition Pharaoh Brown is pushing him for that status. Julian Hill caught 12 passes for 100 yards last season. Brown, an eight-year vet, has never topped 210 yards in a season. Without Waller, the Dolphins — who traded Jonnu Smith to the Steelers in the Ramsey/Minkah Fitzpatrick swap — have a bleak-looking TE situation.

Dolphins Sign CBs Jack Jones, Mike Hilton

July 26th, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After a season-ending injury to Artie Burns, the Dolphins are making two veteran additions to their cornerback room.

The first is former Patriots and Raiders cornerback Jack Jones in a signing made official on Saturday, per a team announcement. Jones started 16 games for the Raiders last season and led the team with three interceptions and 16 passes defended.

The second, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, is veteran slot corner Mike Hilton. Hilton started 23 games over the last two years as the Bengals’ primary nickel, a role he has held in both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh over the last eight seasons.

Cornerback has long been a need for Miami, even before the team traded Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers. Jones primarily plays on the boundary, where he will likely compete for a starting job, while Hilton could be the starting nickel right away if Kader Kohou moves outside. Kohou also appeared to suffer a minor injury in Saturday’s practice, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.

Jones, a 2022 fourth-rounder, began his career with the Patriots and started two games as a rookie. He was cut five games into the 2023 season after disciplinary issues in New England and claimed off waivers by the Raiders. Jones earned a starting job in Las Vegas by the end of the year and continued it into 2024 but was released by the Raiders in April, presumably as part of the roster turnover that comes with regime change.

Originally an undrafted free agent signing by the Steelers, Hilton is one of the league’s most experienced nickels. His 36 career starts don’t properly represent his contributions, as he maintained a snap share around 60% during his four years in Pittsburgh and stayed above 70% for his next four in Cincinnati. His last two seasons were arguably his best, racking up 13 passes defended and 157 tackles with a whopping 24 tackles for loss.

Hilton earned grades of 77.4 and 75.9 from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) in 2023 and 2024, respectively, his two best marks outside of his breakout rookie season. With a slew of younger corners on the roster, however, the Bengals declined to retain Hilton when his contract expired this year.

The Dolphins waived Ryan Cooper Jr. in a corresponding move to their signing of Jones. Cooper appeared in one game for the Ravens last year and finished the season on the Seahawks’ practices squad.

Raiders To Cut CB Jack Jones

April 6th, 2025 at 10:25pm CST by Rory Parks

Jack Jones started more games at cornerback than any other Raider last season, but he will not be back with Las Vegas in 2025. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Las Vegas is cutting Jones, which follows a report from Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal indicating the club was first attempting to trade him. Bonsignore said the Raiders would cut Jones if they could not find a trade partner by tomorrow, and it appears no suitor emerged.

A fourth-round pick of the Patriots in 2022, Jones entered the league with a history of disciplinary issues dating back to his time at college. However, he delivered a promising rookie season, logging a 54% snap share and recording a pair of interceptions, six passes defensed, and one forced fumble. He also allowed a modest completion percentage of 54% as the nearest defender in coverage.

A July 2023 arrest for trying to bring a loaded gun onto a plane foreshadowed a difficult 2023 slate for Jones. Although the criminal charges were later dropped as part of an agreement with prosecutors, Jones started that season on IR due to a hamstring injury, and he fell out of favor with then-HC Bill Belichick halfway through the campaign (thanks in part to a missed curfew). He was subsequently waived and attracted interest from at least two teams on the waiver wire.

Las Vegas had the highest waiver priority among the Jones claimants, so the team was able to reunite the player with then-head coach Antonio Pierce, who also coached Jones in high school at Long Beach Poly High and then in college at Arizona State. Jones played well in a seven-game audition with the Raiders to close out the 2023 season, and he won a starting job last summer.

In his first season as a full-time starter (16 starts, 94% snap share), Jones struggled. In the estimation of Pro Football Focus, he finished as the 102nd-best corner out of 116 qualified players, and he yielded a 62.8% completion percentage and 98.5 QB rating as the nearest defender. Plus, with Pierce having received his walking papers this offseason, there were no personal ties that might have allowed Jones to stick around.

After the impending Jones departure, Jakorian Bennett, Decamerion Richardson, and free agent addition Eric Stokes comprise the top of the Raiders’ CB depth chart. Of course, the club could look to bolster that group in the draft.

Because Jones’ $3.4MM salary for 2025 is not guaranteed, his departure will result in the full amount of that salary being credited back to Las Vegas’ cap.

Zamir White Expected To Be Raiders’ RB Starter; Jack Jones ‘Set’ As Starting CB

May 7th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the more eventful days in running back history, transactionally speaking, occurred March 11. More than a third of the league either signed a veteran starter or lost one, with several clubs in both camps. The Raiders ended up only in the first section, losing Josh Jacobs to the Packers hours into the legal tampering period.

More moves affecting 2023 starters occurred soon after, as the Raiders added primary Vikings first-stringer Alexander Mattison a week into free agency. While Mattison worked as Minnesota’s initial Dalvin Cook replacement last year, the Raiders might not be readying a competition to fill the spot Jacobs held for five years.

The Raiders brought in Mattison as a player who will work as a sidekick to Zamir White, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore. White filled in for Jacobs as the Las Vegas starter over the final four games last season. He totaled 100-plus rushing yards in two of those tilts. Two seasons remain on White’s rookie contract, giving him a path to take over as a multiyear option for the Raiders.

The Vikings released Mattison one year into a two-year contract; the Raiders gave him a one-year, $2MM deal. The former third-round pick’s run as Cook’s replacement did not go well. While the Vikings look to have picked the right offseason to jettison Cook, their run game ranked 29th. Mattison averaged 3.9 yards per carry and did not score a rushing touchdown. The Vikings joined the Raiders in investing a 2022 Day 3 pick on a back (Ty Chandler), and Jacobs’ Green Bay arrival led Aaron Jones to Minneapolis. Mattison, 25, fared better as a Cook spot starter in prior years; the Raiders will give him a chance to mix in behind White, who is going into his age-25 season.

Elsewhere on the Las Vegas depth chart, Bonsignore adds Jack Jones is “set” as a starting cornerback. The ex-Patriots draftee is on track to work as one of the Raiders’ boundary starters, with a competition in the works for the role alongside he and slot cog Nate Hobbs. Considering where Jones stood prior to the Raiders claiming him, a route to a clear-cut starting role is interesting.

Jones undoubtedly benefited from ownership’s decision to remove Antonio Pierce‘s interim tag. Pierce coached Jones at both Long Beach Poly High and then at Arizona State. Jones, 26, ran into off-field trouble in college and in the NFL. An arrest for trying to bring a loaded gun onto a plane overshadowed Jones’ 2023 offseason, and the 2022 fourth-round pick fell out of favor with Bill Belichick late last season. The Patriots waived Jones after he had missed curfew in Germany.

The Raiders upped the talented corner’s usage rate shortly after the November waiver claim, using him as a starter over the final three games. Jones delivered a memorable stretch, which included pick-sixes in back-to-back games. A 2022 starter who encountered speedbumps last year — which also featured an IR stint following a September hamstring injury — Jones is on steadier ground with his second NFL team.

The team let Amik Robertson walk (to the Lions) in free agency and did not draft a corner until Round 4. The Raiders used fourth- and seventh-round picks at the position, but the team is planning to have Jones and Hobbs as locked-in starters. Jakorian Bennett and the reacquired Brandon Facyson may be the early leaders for the other boundary CB job, Bonsignore adds, with the rookies (Decamerion Richardson, M.J. Devonshire) in the mix now as well.

Latest On Bill Belichick’s Patriots Future

January 4th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

As we get closer to Black Monday, the job status of Bill Belichick will continue to command headlines. While it’s still uncertain if the legendary coach will stick in New England, it sounds like rival teams are preparing for a divorce.

According to Josina Anderson, there are “teams within the NFC South” that have “potential” interest in Belichick. Considering the Panthers’ midseason coaching change, the organization has been loosely connected to Belichick. Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily confirms that Carolina “has always been an option.”

However, there haven’t been any previous rumblings of a pursuit by the Buccaneers, Saints, nor Falcons. Each of those teams’ head coaches could be at risk of losing their jobs, so it’s hard to definitively point to any one team based on Anderson’s report.

It sounds like it isn’t just rival teams that are anticipating a break up. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, some Patriots staff members are “bracing for change.” As a result, these individuals “have begun examining outside opportunities out of necessity,” a hint that Robert Kraft and co. could make sweeping changes to the organization.

Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald recently explored what led up to this point in New England. Following a dismal showing from the offense in 2022, there was hope in New England that replacing Matt Patricia with Bill O’Brien would solve some of the issues. However, Belichick was a proponent of sticking with Patricia, and while O’Brien tried to clean house on the offensive coaching staff, the head coach denied the request. This led to a divide on the offensive coaching staff, and the new OC had clear frustrations with the WR and OL coaches.

It sounds like those frustrations were shared by the assistant coaches, although they weren’t necessarily targeted at O’Brien. A source told Callahan and Kyed that newly-hired offensive line coach Adrian Klemm “confronted” director of player personnel Matt Groh “in a loud exchange” earlier this season. Klemm would later take a leave of absence, resulting in assistant coach Billy Yates and veteran OL James Ferentz leading the unit. Per the Boston Herald, Klemm isn’t expected to be back with the Patriots next season.

There were also issues among players. Cornerback Jack Jones “blew up” at position coach Mike Pellegrino after not starting the Germany game, leading to the player’s release, according to the Herald. Meanwhile, offensive lineman Trent Brown reportedly spoke openly about leaving for an NFC team this upcoming offseason.

Ultimately, sources believe Belichick’s “personnel control and inability to assemble a functional staff” led to his demise in New England. Still, these sources stressed that players continued to play hard for their head coach, and there’s a belief that he “hasn’t lost his fastball as a hands-on coach.” We’ll soon learn if Kraft feels the same way.

AFC East Notes: Bills, Patriots, Eichenberg

November 17th, 2023 at 12:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Buffalo-Kansas City has been one of the 2020s’ defining NFL rivalries. The AFC squads have played five times this decade, twice in the playoffs, with the Chiefs’ two postseason wins playing a role in the Bills‘ roster construction. The AFC powers’ plans intersected during the 2022 first round as well. When the Chiefs moved up from No. 29 to No. 21 in the ’22 first round, they took the player the Bills eyed. The Bills sought Trent McDuffie with their top pick last year, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, but the Chiefs were able to make a deal with the Patriots to move in front of Buffalo.

The fallout from this miss became costly for the Bills, whose subsequent trade-up — from No. 25 to No. 23 — produced Kaiir Elam, who has been unable to earn steady playing time. As Elam has vacillated between backup or emergency starter and healthy scratch, McDuffie has progressed in Kansas City. Pro Football Focus rates McDuffie eighth overall among corners; the Washington product has been a central part of the Chiefs’ defensive improvement this season.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

The Patriots opted not to sell at the trade deadline, keeping the door open for longer-term futures with some of their contract-year players. New England held onto Josh Uche, Michael Onwenu and Kyle Dugger despite interest coming in before the deadline. Dugger has become a player teams are monitoring ahead of free agency, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler noting some teams view the Division II alum as the 2024 UFA class’ second-best safety — behind the Buccaneers’ Antoine Winfield Jr. This year’s safety market producing only one contract north of $8MM per year (Jessie Bates‘ outlier $16MM-AAV accord) could impact Dugger, but it is clear the former second-round pick will be costly for the Pats to retain.
Benched in Week 9 and left in the States ahead of the Patriots’ Week 10 Germany trip, J.C. Jackson was initially believed to have arrived late at the team hotel the night before the Pats-Commanders game. But the recently reacquired corner did not show up at all that night, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss notes. Jack Jones missed curfew as well, but Reiss adds the since-waived corner did surface later. Both players were benched for Week 9, and despite Jackson’s unavailability, the Patriots further limited Jones against the Colts. Jackson is expected to remain with the Pats, but the ballhawk has not escaped the rough patch that began last year in Los Angeles.
Trent Brown did not make the trip to Frankfurt for personal reasons, and Reiss adds the veteran tackle’s missed game will affect his recently reworked contract. Including $88K per game in roster bonuses, the Patriots set playing-time thresholds for additional Brown escalators as well. The starting LT would collect $1MM for playing 75% of the team’s offensive snaps this season. Hovering at 75% after Week 9, Brown has now missed two games. The low end of this incentive structure is 65%, which Reiss notes will pay out $750K. He would receive another $750K by hitting the 70% snap barrier.
Dolphins contract-year guard Robert Hunt will miss a second straight game due to a hamstring injury. As a result, Liam Eichenberg will complete a rare NFL feat. The 2021 second-round pick began the week practicing at left guard, his primary 2022 position, but the swingman moved to right guard midway through practice this week, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes. The Dolphins view Eichenberg as more comfortable there. Once Eichenberg replaces Hunt on Sunday, he will have started at all five O-line positions as a pro. While the converted tackle could not retain his LG job to start this season, having accomplished this O-line tour of sorts in his third season is certainly noteworthy. Lester Cotton will start at left guard for the Dolphins, who are uncertain to have LG first-stringer Isaiah Wynn back this season.

Raiders Claim CB Jack Jones

November 14th, 2023 at 7:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:15pm: The Vikings also put in a claim for Jones, a source told ESPN’s Field Yates. The Raiders landed the cornerback by virtue of having higher waiver positioning.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifer wonders if Akayleb Evans‘ calf injury influenced Minnesota’s claim. The Vikings cornerback exited Sunday’s win, leading Mekhi Blackmon to see more playing time and secure the first interception of his career.

3:20pm: Although Mark Davis cut ties with the Patriot Way leadership he hired just last year, the Raiders will be the team that gives recent Patriots cut Jack Jones a second chance. Jones will head to Las Vegas after the team submitted a successful waiver claim, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.

While this is yet another ex-Patriot joining the now-Antonio Pierce-led roster, he arrived as a 2022 draftee — after Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler were in Nevada. The Pierce tie is more relevant here than the Patriots component. Pierce has an extensive background with Jones, having coached him in high school (at Long Beach Poly) and in college (at Arizona State). This past made the Raiders a natural suitor for Jones, who the Patriots waived after multiple benchings.

Pierce was head coach at the Southern California high school from 2014-17. This overlapped with Jones’ tenure. The 25-year-old corner was a five-star recruit coming out of Long Beach Poly. While he signed with USC, off-field issues led him to the junior college ranks. By the time the 5-foot-11 corner was back on the Division I radar, Pierce was in place as Arizona State’s linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator under Herm Edwards. Jones signed with the Sun Devils in 2019 and fared well enough to warrant a fourth-round draft investment.

The Patriots drafted Jones in 2022 and used him as a regular. Jones played 54% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps last season; Pro Football Focus rated him 17th overall among corners. This year has proven rockier for Jones — on and off the field. PFF rates Jones outside the top 100 at the position, and the talented cover man has only played 121 defensive snaps in his second season.

An accumulation of performance-related issues and other matters contributed to Jones’ New England exit, per SI.com’s Albert Breer. Bill Belichick still referred to Jones as a talented player, via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed, and The Athletic’s Jeff Howe adds the Pats did not view Jones as a bounce-back candidate this season. The team benched Jones in Week 9, along with J.C. Jackson, and used him on just 10 defensive plays in their Germany matchup. Belichick had said the Pats were not planning to bring Jones back on the practice squad, had he cleared waivers. While that is a moot point, the Raiders are taking a chance on a corner with notable baggage.

Jones was booted off the USC squad for academic reasons, leading to him playing at Moorpark (Calif.) College for the 2018 campaign. That season, Jones was arrested following an incident at a Panda Express, and he served 45 days of house arrest after pleading guilty to commercial burglary, which is a second-degree misdemeanor. In June, Jones was arrested on a number of charges in connection with bringing two loaded guns to an airport and attempting to board a plane. A deal with prosecutors led to the charges being dropped, but Jones still began the season sidelined, suffering a hamstring injury in an early-September practice.

The Raiders rebooted at corner this offseason, letting 2022 starters Rock Ya-Sin and Anthony Averett walk in free agency. The team took a few fliers in the spring, but none became regulars. Marcus Peters, who signed during training camp, leapfrogged the spring additions. Ditto Jakorian Bennett, who went from fourth-round rookie to starter. But the Raiders benched Bennett, using third-year defender Amik Robertson opposite Peters. Robertson, however, left the Raiders’ Week 10 game with a head injury.

Jones has worked primarily as an outside corner as a pro. He finished with two interceptions, a forced fumble and six passes defensed as a rookie. The Pierce-led Raiders would seemingly represent Jones’ best chance to salvage his NFL career. The 5-5 team will give him that chance.

Patriots Waive CB Jack Jones

November 13th, 2023 at 12:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the wake of seeing his playing time reduced during yesterday’s loss, Jack Jones has seen his time with the Patriots come to an end. The second-year cornerback has been waived, his agent confirmed on Monday.

Jones played just 10 snaps in New England’s loss in Germany to the Colts yesterday, a continuation of disciplinary measures taken against him. The 25-year-old was benched to start the previous contest along with veteran J.C. Jackson, the latter of whom remained stateside for the international contest. Jackson is a possibility to suit up for the team’s next game, but that will not be the case for Jones. The Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi reports Jones’ response to his benching was unsatisfactory, pointing to today’s move.

A fourth-round pick in 2022, Jones entered the league with a history of disciplinary issues dating back to his time at college. He managed to show promise at Arizona State, however, and he delivered an encouraging performance in his rookie season with 30 tackles, a pair of interceptions and one forced fumble. A hamstring injury led to an IR stint and delayed his 2023 debut, however.

Jones saw a regression in his coverage statistics compared to last year, allowing a 78% completion percentage and 101 passer rating as the closest defender. Those on-field struggles were coupled with another (albeit brief) legal matter. Jones was arrested in July for attempting to bring two loaded firearms onto a plane, but charges on that front have since been dropped. It remains to be seen if any league action will be taken in the wake of his plea agreement being worked out.

Jones will be available to all NFL teams via the waive wire. In the event he goes unclaimed, he will be free to sign with any interested party. Given his age and promise shown in 2022, it will be worth watching closely how aggressively teams are in attempting to add him. In a statement, Jones’ agent expressed (via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network) his willingness to make “an immediate contribution to his next team as soon as Sunday.”

Meanwhile, the Patriots will proceed with a shorthanded CB group. First-round Christian Gonzalez is out for the year with a torn labrum, and Marcus Jones finds himself on IR. Their absences, along with that of Jackson, left a number of relatively new, inexperienced faces in the secondary in Week 10. Regardless of if Jackson (whom New England re-acquired via trade this season) returns to the lineup in the near future, they will be without Jones moving forward unless he clears waivers and remains in the organization via the practice squad.

Patriots Activate CB Jack Jones, Place OL Riley Reiff On IR

October 21st, 2023 at 7:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots made a number of roster moves on Saturday which will see the return of a key defender on one hand, but an extended absence of a veteran O-linemen on the other. Per a team announcement, cornerback Jack Jones was activated from injured reserve while tackle Riley Reiff was placed on IR.

Jones was designated for return earlier this week, a move which opened his three-week practice window. It comes as no surprise that the Patriots are moving quickly bringing him back into the fold given their injury woes at the cornerback spot. First-round rookie Christian Gonzalez is out for the year with a torn labrum, while Marcus Jones is on IR. Those injuries led to New England’s re-acquisition of J.C. Jackson earlier this month.

Jack Jones had a signficant role as a rookie last year, posting a 54% defensive snap share. That playing time resulted in a pair of interceptions, six pass defections and one forced fumble. The Arizona State product also posted strong coverage statistics, allowing a completion percentage of 54% as the nearest defender. A hamstring injury led to his IR stint ahead of Week 1, so Sunday’s game will mark Jones’ 2023 debut.

Reiff, by contrast, has only made one appearance this year. The 34-year-old missed the beginning of the campaign due to a leg injury, with his first IR stint shutting him down for the first month of the season. He suited up in Week 5 and saw time at both left and right guard. Signed to a one-year deal to provide depth at a number of spots, Rieff could have been option at right tackle as well when healthy. Now, though, he will be sidelined for at least another four weeks.

The Patriots also activated veteran special teamer Cody Davis from the PUP list. His return will lead to his 2023 debut, and it will not count against the Patriots’ IR activations count. Bringing back Jones, on the other hand, will use up one of the team’s six remaining activations. The same will be true of Rieff if he is brought back during the second half of the campaign.

Patriots Designate CB Jack Jones For Return

October 17th, 2023 at 7:50pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots defense has been hit hard by injuries, but the team will soon be getting some reinforcement. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, New England has designated cornerback Jack Jones for return from IR.

The 2022 fourth-round pick showed flashes as a rookie, compiling 30 tackles and two interceptions (including a pick-six on Aaron Rodgers). Jones landed on injured reserve late during his rookie campaign thanks to a knee injury, and he was later suspended by the Patriots for undisclosed reasons.

Jones suffered a hamstring injury prior to Week 1 that ultimately required him to be placed on injured reserve. It took more than the minimum four weeks for the cornerback to return to the practice field, and the Patriots will now have 21 days to activate Jones from IR.

Considering New England’s current struggles at the position, the team will likely make that activation sooner than later. Rookie first-round pick Christian Gonzalez is out for the season after suffering a torn labrum, and promising sophomore Marcus Jones is also on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Making matters worse, veteran Jonathan Jones missed a handful of games and has played through an ankle injury over the past few weeks.

Considering the losses the Patriots have faced at the position, the front office went out and acquired old friend J.C. Jackson from the Chargers. After debuting with the Patriots in Week 5, Jackson played in 96 percent of New England’s defensive snaps in Week 6.

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