As the Las Vegas Raiders look to build on their 2-0 record since firing former head coach Josh McDaniels, they’re bulking up their defense.
On Tuesday, the NFL announced that the Raiders have been awarded Jack Jones off of waivers after the New England Patriots waived the second-year cornerback on Monday. In heading to Las Vegas, Jones will reunite with Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce, who he played for in high school at Long Beach Polytechnic, as well as in college at Arizona State.
“Certainly we want to thank the Patriot organization for drafting Jack,” Jones’ agent, J. Tooson said in a statement, according to NFL.com. “Jack is an immense talent and looks forward to making an immediate contribution on his next team as soon as Sunday.”
The Patriots selected Jones in the fourth round (121st overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft. The former 5-star prospect went on to enjoy a standout rookie season in New England, tallying six pass defenses and two interceptions — one of which he returned for a touchdown — in 13 games (all starts).
Jones, however, failed to build on his strong rookie campaign as injuries and off-field issues plagued his 2023 season. After missing the Patriots’ first six games of the season due to a hamstring injury, he reportedly missed curfew ahead of their Week 9 loss to the Washington Commanders and proceeded to play just 10 snaps in New England’s Week 10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany before being waived.
In Las Vegas, the 2019 first-team All-Pac 12 selection will look to get his career back on track with a Raiders team that is currently in second place in the AFC West with a 5-5 record. Following the firing of McDaniels, Las Vegas has won two straight games, including a 16-12 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football.
Jones will get his first chance to make his Raiders debut on Sunday when Las Vegas faces the 6-3 Miami Dolphins.
[NFL.com]
