The New England Patriots waived troubled second-year cornerback Jack Jones on Monday.
Jones returned with the team from Germany late Sunday night after he played a season-low 10 snaps in the Patriots’ 10-6 loss to the Colts. Jones ends his New England tenure amid the worst playing stretch of his young career. He sat out the first quarter of the team’s last two games due to performance and off-field issues.
The night before the Patriots’ home loss to Washington on Nov. 5, Jones reportedly missed curfew at the team hotel. That incident was the latest in a long list for the 25-year-old, who failed to improve his attitude this past week in Germany, according to a source. Jones’ lack of response manifested in the last two games, when he was often detached from teammates and sat on the bench by himself while the defense was on the field.
Coach Bill Belichick deflected when asked about Jones’ level of engagement Monday morning.
“I’m not going to get into any of the players’ personal situations,” Belichick said.
Over the summer, the Patriots stood by Jones as he faced several felony gun charges for bringing loaded weapons and large-capacity magazines into Logan airport last June. The charges were later dropped as part of a plea agreement. Jones also faced legal trouble in June 2018 for burglarizing a Panda Express shortly after he was dismissed at USC. He served time on house arrest as part of that plea agreement.
He later enrolled at Arizona State, where he left to become a fourth-round draft pick of the Patriots in 2022. Last season as a rookie, Jones finished the year on the team’s suspended list for failing to show up for rehab sessions. He also walked out of a training camp practice this summer.
JETS: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said his goal is to return from a torn Achilles tendon by mid-December, NBC’s Melissa Stark reported during the telecast of the Jets’ game at Las Vegas on Sunday night.
Rodgers had hinted recently he hopes to return before the end of the season, but this is the most specific he has been. He suffered what was thought to be a season-ending injury in the opener against the Buffalo Bills.
RAMS: Matthew Stafford is expected to start for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday against Seattle, Coach Sean McVay said.
Stafford missed the Rams’ final game before their bye week, a 20-3 loss in Green Bay on Nov. 5. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback sprained a ligament in the thumb on his throwing hand during Los Angeles’ loss at Dallas one week earlier.
Stafford has passed for 2,070 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 59.7% of his throws this season for the Rams (3-6), who are on a three-game losing streak.
GIANTS: The New York Giants have been going down the wrong path since the season began and with roughly two months and seven games to go, they are hopelessly lost.
The past two weeks have been the worst. The Giants (2-8) were outclassed by the struggling Raiders 30-6 in Las Vegas’ first game under interim coach Antonio Pierce.
That was bad. But it wasn’t as embarrassing as Sunday, when the Dallas Cowboys made Brian Daboll’s team look like it didn’t belong in NFL in a 49-17 blowout.
While they tried, the Giants were not competitive. Dallas was superior for the second time this year. The Cowboys won the season opener 40-0 and outscored New York 89-17 for the season.
Even more concerning for Daboll and the front office is the talking. Safety Xavier McKinney claimed after the Raiders game the coaches weren’t letting the leaders lead and weren’t listening to suggestions from players. Veteran receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton shared words on the sideline Sunday, as did Saquon Barkley and Daboll.
What they said wasn’t important. It was ugly, though — a symptom of frustration over a lost season. The sniping has to stop, or at least be less public.
Injuries to starting quarterback Daniel Jones (ACL), his backup Tyrod Taylor (ribs) and others have put the Giants in this situation. The team clearly isn’t as deep or talented as it appeared after a 9-7-1 season and its first playoff berth since 2016.
“Look, everybody’s human,” Daboll said. “Everybody wants to win; everybody wants to do everything they can do to help achieve that goal. Extra meetings, stay here as late as you need to, good practice habits and I’d say we take pride in doing those things, but the results haven’t showed, so I understand that it’s a production business and we’re working extremely hard to get different results.”
VIKINGS: Linebacker Jordan Hicks was taken to a hospital after Minnesota’s 27-19 win Sunday against the New Orleans Saints and had a procedure to alleviate pressure from a contusion in his shin.
Vikings Coach Kevin O’Connell said Hicks had compartment syndrome after taking a direct shot to his shin in Sunday’s game.
Hicks was taken to the hospital immediately following the game and was still hospitalized a day later.
DOLPHINS: Rookie running back De’Von Achane returned to practice after missing the past four games with a knee injury, opening his 21-day window to be activated from injured reserve.
Achane hasn’t played since hurting his knee late in a Week 5 win over the New York Giants.
BROWNS: Quarterback Deshaun Watson underwent an MRI on his injured left ankle after he got hurt during Sunday’s last-second win at Baltimore.
Watson twice rolled his ankle in the first half but stayed in the game and went 14 of 14 for 134 yards after halftime as the Browns (6-3) rallied in the fourth quarter for a 33-31 win. Watson left M&T Bank Stadium in a walking boot.
He said after the game he would be ready this week when the Browns host the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3).
Coach Kevin Stefanski did not provide any specifics on Watson’s injury but did confirm his QB will have extra image testing done on his ankle.
JAGUARS: Receiver Zay Jones was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge.
Jones was booked into the Duval County Jail on Monday evening and was scheduled to make a first appearance before a judge Tuesday morning. Jail records did not indicate exactly why Isaiah Avery Jones, 28, had been arrested. The jail shows his arrest was for domestic battery causing bodily harm.
“We are aware of the situation and are in the midst of gathering information,” the Jaguars said in a statement. “We will have no further comment at this time.”
A first-degree misdemeanor in Florida is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. Punishment may also include court costs, restitution, probation, treatment and/or community service.
Jones has missed four consecutive games because of lingering knee soreness and six of the last seven. He has eight receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns this season and 261 catches for 2,785 yards and 59 TDs in a seven-year NFL career spanning Buffalo, Oakland, Las Vegas and Jacksonville.
Jones played college ball at East Carolina and still holds NCAA Division I records for career receptions (399) and single-season receptions (158).
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