Patriots Captain Reacts To New England Releasing Jack Jones

The Patriots released Jack Jones on Monday, and the transaction not only came as a surprise for fans but also players.

Head coach Bill Belichick didn’t offer many details about why New England parted ways with the second-year cornerback. The 2022 fourth-round pick was benched earlier this month and was arrested before the season on gun charges. The build-up of Jones’ off-the-field troubles reportedly was enough for the Patriots but few at Gillette Stadium expected the cut to happen.

“I was kind of hurt by it. That’s my guy,” Deatrich Wise told reporters Tuesday, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. “I’ll always root for him.”

New England had the opportunity to retain Jones on its practice squad, but Belichick made it clear the team would not try to keep the cornerback.

Jones’ past relationship with Antonio Pierce at Arizona State makes him a candidate to play for the Las Vegas Raiders under the interim head coach. The 25-year-old only has played in 18 career games through Week 10, so it’s not definitive what caliber of player a team would get if they placed a waiver claim on him or signed him.

The off-the-field issues likely will be on those teams’ minds, but an endorsement from a Patriots captain could convince a team to take a chance and hope a change of scenery is what Jones needs.