Report: Adam 'Pacman' Jones to Hit FA After Bengals Decline Contract Option

The Cincinnati Bengals informed cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones on Friday that they will not pick up his option for the 2018 season, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.

Jones said the Bengals told him they would like to re-sign him in free agency to compete as a nickel corner and returner. He said he'd "love to come back" but told Hobson, "I have to sit down and make [a] decision with family" if a team makes him an offer to be a starting cornerback.

The 34-year-old started all nine games he played before ending 2017 on injured reserve with a groin injury.

The 2005 first-round pick has had numerous legal troubles throughout his career, including a suspension in Week 1 of the 2017 season after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge in the offseason. Most notably, he was suspended for the entire 2007 season for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

He re-established himself as a consistent cornerback and an elite returner after joining the Bengals in 2010, earning one Pro Bowl appearance and one selection to the All-Pro first team.  

Despite this, Jones is aware of the impact his past has made.  

"If I would have never gotten suspended, I would have $100 million right now," the cornerback said in 2015, per Coley Harvey of ESPN.com.  

Although his on-field impact used to be enough to overcome any question marks, that was not the case over the past year. He saw his snaps decrease on defense as Josh Shaw and William Jackson moved into more prominent roles and lost return duties to receiver Alex Erickson. With Darqueze Dennard and Dre Kirkpatrick also on the roster, Jones was not worth the $6.4 million cap hit for 2018.  

The Bengals will be able to move on with young players to fill Jones' role, but he could still be a contributor in multiple areas if Cincinnati decides to bring him back on a lesser deal.