Raiders Claim Jack Jones Off Waivers After 2 Seasons With Bill Belichick, Patriots

The Las Vegas Raiders have claimed ex-New England Patriots cornerback Jack Jones off waivers, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, who note the connections the 25-year-old has with Silver and Black interim head coach Antonio Pierce.

The Patriots released Jones, a 2022 fourth-round pick out of Arizona State, on Monday. Over 17 games (two starts) in two seasons, Jones amassed 42 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. In 2023, he had 12 tackles in four games. A hamstring injury kept him out for the first six contests.

The release almost felt inevitable given his time with the team plus numerous reports, including ones from ESPN's Mike Reiss and another via Mark Daniels of MassLive to provide more insight.

This year has been a tough one for Jones.

In June, Jones was arrested at Logan International Airport in Boston after trying to bring two loaded guns with him through TSA. Charges were dropped in September in exchange for one year of pre-trial probation and 48 hours of community service, per Chris Mason of MassLive.

On the field, Jones has struggled when targeted. Per Pro Football Reference, opposing quarterbacks completed 77.8 percent of targets at Jones, posting a 100.9 passer rating along the way.

Jones also notably played just 10 defensive snaps in a 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday after playing 45 defensive snaps two weeks prior versus the Miami Dolphins, per Pro Football Reference.

Now his time in New England is over, but he gets a fresh start in Las Vegas, reuniting with an old mentor in Pierce who can certainly help Jones realize the potential he's shown in the past. Las Vegas is also a rejuvenated franchise these days, going 2-0 under Pierce after he replaced the fired Josh McDaniels.

The Raiders, in turn, are fighting for a playoff spot at 5-5, so Jones has an opportunity to make a key contribution to a team with great aspirations following a midseason reset.