Bill Belichick clearly isn’t happy with Jack Jones.
The New England Patriots on Friday officially suspended the rookie cornerback, who a week earlier was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Jones, who suffered a knee injury on Dec. 12, reportedly was late to rehab sessions. His agent expressed confusion about the “unknown suspension” in an official statement.
On Friday evening, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer offered additional context on Jones’ situation.
“Patriots coach Bill Belichick used it as a teaching moment, and addressed Jones’ conduct in a team meeting leading up to the (Week 17) Miami game,” Breer tweeted. “More or less, message was ‘this isn’t what we’re looking for’ in a rehabbing player. Jones has been gone for over a week.”
Obviously, that’s not a good look for a player who battled character concerns during last year’s draft process. Jones got off to a tremendous start in his rookie campaign, but the second half of the season likely was a humbling experience for the Arizona State product.
As for his knee injury, it’s hard to get a good read on it. After suffering what he described as a “bone bruise” in New England’s road win over the Arizona Cardinals, Jones told NESN.com he “should be good” after a “couple of days.”
The fourth-round pick returned to practice the following Friday but his practice attendance was inconsistent from that point forward.
Jones isn’t the only Patriots player who’ll be suspended for the rest of the season. Punter Jake Bailey also was disciplined by the team, a decision that drew the ire of his agent.
