Chandler Jones (DE)

Chandler Jones Likely To Avoid Jail Time

June 25th, 2024 at 9:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Chandler Jones was released by the Raiders last September after facing a pair of domestic violence charges. It sounds like the pass rusher will ultimately avoid jail time, per Taylor Lane of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

After entering a no-contest plea, one of Jones’ domestic violence charges was dismissed. The other charge resulted in a suspended 90-day jail sentence, and Jones can avoid jail time “if he stays out of trouble and has no contact with his victim,” according to Lane. This condition lasts through December 17.

Jones was first arrested in September after violating a temporary protection order against the mother of his son. The arrest report says that Jones “got naked and burned the woman’s belongings that he took from her backyard,” per Lane. The Raiders released Jones shortly after this incident. The veteran was arrested again in October after violating the same protection order.

Prior to his legal issues, Jones was engaged in a public feud with the Raiders organization. The player was publicly critical of both head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, with Jones claiming that he was locked out of the team’s facility. Jones later stated that he no longer wanted to play for the franchise, and he was sitting on the NFI list before being cut by the Raiders. Jones signed a three-year, $51MM deal with the team in March 2022, but the organization only got an underwhelming 15-game showing from the former All-Pro.

Jones had stints in New England and Arizona prior to his tumultuous stint in Las Vegas. The former first-round pick has 112 career sacks, 49 of which came between his 2017 and 2019 campaigns with the Cardinals. It’s been naturally quiet on the Jones front since his release from the Raiders last year, and with 2024 representing his age-34 season, there’s a good chance the edge defender won’t get another NFL gig. In the unlikely event that he does resurface with a team, he’ll likely face punishment from the league stemming from his two most-recent arrests.

Raiders Release DE Chandler Jones

September 30th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chandler Jones situation is set to come to an expected conclusion. The veteran defensive end is being released by the Raiders, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move is now official, per the transactions wire.

The move comes after Jones was arrested in Las Vegas for two violations of a domestic temporary restraining order yesterday. That, in turn, marked the latest chapter in an off-field saga which has prevented the four-time Pro Bowler from seeing game time in 2023, the second year of his Raiders deal. Jones had been on the team’s NFI list prior to his release.

Jones went public with his criticism of head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler at the start of the month, something which was sparked by Jones being locked out of the team’s facility when attempting to work out. The situation has escalated quickly since then, with the 33-year-old adding he did not want to continue playing for the organization so long as the ex-Patriots tandem remained in place.

As his absence lasted deeper into the campaign, it seemed increasingly likely the Raiders would elect to move on from Jones in response to his situation. The two-time All-Pro cautioned against the chances of that, however, when alleging owner Mark Davis is keeping a “huge secret.” No further details have emerged on that front, and it will be interesting to see if any will moving forward now that Jones is no longer with the team.

The former Patriots and Cardinals starter said earlier this week that he was recently taken to Seven Hills Behavioral Health Hospital “against my will.” In spite of that, the Raiders were thought to be open to a return to the field on Jones’ part at some point down the road. Instead, they have decided to put an end to his tenure in Sin City, which was marked by underwhelming statistical performances prior to recent events.

Attached to a three-year, $51MM deal signed in free agency last year, expectations were high for Jones upon arrival in Vegas. He recorded only 4.5 sacks and three tackles for loss across 15 games in 2022, however, leaving him with plenty of room for improvement this season, something which will not come to pass. His release will create roughly $12.2MM in dead cap charges in 2023 and ’24, Schefter notes.

Maxx Crosby remains in place as the anchor of the Raiders’ edge rush contingent. First-round rookie Tyree Wilson – whom the team planned to use in a rotational capacity alongside Jones early in his career – will likely be in line for an increased workload with a return for the latter no longer an option. Wilson has logged a 40% defensive snap share so far, totaling three tackles in as many games. Jones, meanwhile, will begin a stint in free agency which will no doubt last for some time given his current situation.

Raiders OLB Chandler Jones Arrested

September 29th, 2023 at 12:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Police arrested Raiders outside linebacker Chandler Jones in Las Vegas, according to TMZ. The former All-Pro, who resides on the team’s reserve/non-football illness list amid a strange saga that has transpired this month, remains in custody.

Jones committed two violations of a domestic temporary restraining order, according to Andrew Groover of The Associated Press. The 33-year-old defender was cooperative with authorities, TMZ reports. The arrest occurred at 11pm Thursday, and Jones remains at the Clark County Detention Center. He is expected to be released today, Groover adds.

Jones has not been with the Raiders since his initial social media outburst, which occurred September 5. Since, a slew of social media posts have led to the 11-year veteran moving out of the picture for the Raiders. Most recently, Jones shared Monday night that the Las Vegas Fire Department officials transported him to the hospital “against my will.” The 2022 Raiders free agency addition added that he was transferred to Seven Hills Behavioral Health Hospital last week.

During this run of tirades, Jones has levied extensive criticism at Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler. The known developments in this concerning stretch began with Jones voicing his displeasure about allegedly being locked out of the Raiders’ facility. He then said he did not want to play for the Raiders as long as McDaniels and Ziegler are in charge. The former Patriots and Cardinals standout turned his attention to Mark Davis as well, saying the longtime Raiders owner was holding “a huge secret.”

The Raiders have classified the Jones situation as a private matter, and The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes the team did not comment on the arrest. Friday’s news comes as personnel around the league have expressed concern about the pass rusher’s well-being. While the Raiders were believed to be open to Jones returning to the team if the situation improves, this week has placed some barriers in his path back to the team.

Latest On Raiders, Chandler Jones

September 26th, 2023 at 4:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders-Chandler Jones saga continues to unfold, and the veteran edge rusher said he has attempted to reach out to the team about why he is not presently permitted to play. Residing on the reserve/non-football illness list, Jones said he has tried to contact GM Dave Ziegler to no avail.

This turbulent month for the Raiders and their 2022 free agency acquisition has now involved Jones indicating he has been hospitalized. The 33-year-old defender wrote Monday night that the Las Vegas Fire Department officials transported him to the hospital “against my will,” according to ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez.

Jones social media posts, which have catalyzed his on-field hiatus, indicated he was transferred from the hospital to Seven Hills Behavioral Health Hospital last week. He said between five and seven Las Vegas Fire Department officials came to his home to inform him he was being placed on a “court hold” by the Las Vegas Police Department.

The former Patriots and Cardinals standout also wrote that the staff at the behavioral hospital “tried to force me to take meds & injections.” Jones also indicated the reasoning behind his alleged hospitalization came about because of his online activity.

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Jones said, via Gutierrez. “The police said people were concerned about me because of my posts online. I’m still confused on what I did wrong. I’m stuck here. I’m very sane. I’m to strong of a person to be mentally broken [sic].”

The Raiders placed Jones on the reserve/NFI list last week, moving him off the 53-man roster. While the team is open to activating Jones if the situation improves, it does not seem likely that will transpire in the near future. Jones also said he called Ziegler at least six times after being hospitalized, adding that he “wondered if [Ziegler] had me put in here, but he never answered.” The Raiders have classified this a private matter.

An incident involving Jones being locked out of the Raiders’ facility in early September, leading to him conducting a workout at a public gym, marked the beginning of his tirade against the team and its top staffers. Jones said he no longer wanted to play for the Raiders as long as Ziegler and Josh McDaniels were in charge. The $17MM-per-year pass rusher also said the Raiders sent a crisis team to his house not long after the initial round of posts. Recently, Jones added to this bizarre dust-up by saying owner Mark Davis is “holding a huge secret.” Raider players and others around the league have expressed concern for Jones’ health. The 11-year veteran has not practiced with the Raiders since the locked-door incident.

Jones signed a three-year, $51MM deal with the Raiders in March 2022. The team is not obligated to pay the former All-Pro while he is on the reserve/NFI list, but an offseason restructure converted most of his salary into a signing bonus. Jones is only tied to a $1.17MM base salary this season.

Raiders Place OLB Chandler Jones On Reserve/NFI List

September 20th, 2023 at 10:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The strange Chandler Jones saga may not cool down anytime soon. The Raiders are moving the veteran pass rusher to their reserve/non-football illness list, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

At odds with the team since just before Week 1, Jones has made a number of statements blasting the Raiders and their top staffers. The team had deactivated Jones for its first two games; this designation will sideline him for the next four. Jones is dealing with a personal issue, and Rapoport adds the Raiders have not ruled out a return “if his situation improves.” The former All-Pro’s second year with the Raiders has devolved into quite the mess, however.

Irate at being locked out of the Raiders’ facility days before Week 1, Jones went on social media and blasted Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler. He since shared a text exchange with owner Mark Davis. The Raiders shelved Jones for their Week 1 game against the Broncos. Jones had also indicated on social media that the Raiders sent a crisis team to his house, posting a series of since-deleted Instagram stories explaining the events and questioning why he was not allowed to play in Denver. Jones also shared that the NFLPA has attempted to contact him.

Recently, Jones kept adding to this bizarre dust-up by saying Davis is “holding a huge secret.” The Raiders deactivated Jones again for their Week 2 Bills tilt. Raider players and others around the league have expressed concern for Jones’ health, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. Jones has not practiced with the Raiders since the locked-door incident.

“I wish mark Davis told the ppl why I really can’t play,” Jones said (sic). “I think I know why, but I want y’all to ask him. I’ll let him say it to the public not me lmao. I wish I could play with my brothers, but marky mark is holding a huge secret that only I know! That’s why I was asking for my protection sorry if I sound scared because I’m not lol, when I found out I was lol.”

The Raiders gave Jones a three-year, $51MM deal in 2022. While the former Patriots and Cardinals standout disappointed last season, he was still expected to start opposite Maxx Crosby this year. The Raiders used the No. 7 overall pick on Tyree Wilson, signaling Jones’ tenure would likely be capped at two seasons. It is obviously not a lock Jones plays for the Raiders again, and the team can opt to not pay the 12th-year veteran while he is on the NFI list. It is not yet known if the Raiders will go that route. Considering how this odd storyline has unfolded, Jones may well let the public know if the Raiders have decided not to pay him. If the Raiders choose not to pay Jones during his NFI stay, the damage would be minimal thanks to an offseason restructure that reduced his 2023 base salary to $1.2MM.

A two-time All-Pro while with the Cardinals, Jones had angled for a trade ahead of his final Arizona season. He ended up playing out his five-year Cards contract in 2021, bouncing back from a biceps injury that ended his 2020 season, and rejoining McDaniels in free agency. McDaniels was in place as New England’s offensive coordinator during Jones’ first four years. Jones’ Patriots stay wrapped not long after an unusual episode that featured the team’s top pass rusher showing up shirtless at a Foxborough police station after a reaction to synthetic marijuana. Contract matters led to the Patriots trading him to the Cardinals during the ’16 offseason, leading to a run of strong seasons.

This Raiders issue will undoubtedly impact Jones’ ability to catch on elsewhere when that time comes. Las Vegas has kept Wilson as a rotational rusher to start the season.

Raiders DE Chandler Jones: Mark Davis Is Holding A “Huge Secret”

September 17th, 2023 at 11:39am CST by Rory Parks

The odd situation between Chandler Jones and the Raiders does not appear to be any closer to a resolution. On September 15, the edge defender posted a tweet indicating that the team has not yet contacted him or his reps, though just last week he posted to his Instagram account what appears to be a text exchange between him and Raiders owner Mark Davis (via Tashan Reed of The Athletic).

To recap, in the days leading up to Las Vegas’ regular season opener, Jones posted a series of angry messages to his Instagram account alleging that the Raiders locked him out of the team facility, thereby forcing him to work out at a local gym. In those since-deleted posts, he went on say that he could not get in touch with either head coach Josh McDaniels or general manager Dave Ziegler and no longer wanted to play for the club as long as McDaniels and Ziegler remain in charge.

Then, in another round of social media posts that he later deleted, Jones — who missed several practices towards the end of training camp for undisclosed reasons — said that the Raiders had sent a member of the Las Vegas crisis response team to his home. The CRT member allegedly told Jones that he was in danger and needed to go with her.

Speculation has swirled that Jones is dealing with a mental health matter, though there has been no confirmation in that regard. The organization has, unsurprisingly, declined to comment about the situation.

In a new string of tweets, at least some of which have been deleted, Jones spoke more directly about Davis.

“I wish mark Davis told the ppl why I really can’t play,” Jones said (as relayed by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “I think I know why, but I want y’all to ask him. I’ll let him say it to the public not me lmao. I wish I could play with my brothers, but marky mark is holding a huge secret that only I know! That’s why I was asking for my protection sorry if I sound scared because I’m not lol, when I found out I was lol.”

It is unclear what secret Jones is referring to, or what information he discovered. In the above-referenced text exchange, the only substantive portion of Davis’ dialogue read, “I care for you the person more than I care for you the player.. I’m here for you should you feel the need to talk.. Man to man.. With respect..”

Jones was inactive for the Raiders’ Week 1 victory over the Broncos and is also inactive for today’s matchup with the Bills. At this point, it is difficult to say when (or even if) Jones will hit the field again.

In his most recent tweets, Jones added, “[Davis] can’t cut me, I have proof of his reps saying I’m under contract, and they want me on the team.. but not playing right now. Lol.”

Indeed, if the Raiders were to release Jones, they would be saddled with a dead money charge of roughly $13MM (though as a post-June 1 transaction, such a release would actually yield a modest cap savings on the 2023 ledger). Presumably, Las Vegas would like for Jones to return to action and try to live up to the three-year, $51MM contract he signed last offseason, a deal that looks like a signficiant misstep given the current impasse and Jones’ disappointing 2022 campaign.

It is fair to wonder if the NFLPA will become involved in this matter, particulary in light of Jones’ accusations against Davis.

Chandler Jones Continues Tirade Against Raiders; DE Ruled Out For Week 1

September 8th, 2023 at 1:35pm CST by Ben Levine

SEPTEMBER 8: McDaniels confirmed on Friday that Jones will not play in the Raiders’ season opener. That comes as no surprise given the ongoing tension between player and club in this bizarre situation. The absence of Jones will put added emphasis on fellow starter Maxx Crosby and first-round rookie Tyree Wilson in the pass-rush department against the Broncos. McDaniels added that cornerback Brandon Facyson will miss Sunday’s game as well.

SEPTEMBER 7: Chandler Jones‘ tirade against the Raiders continued late last night, with the pass rusher claiming on social media that the organization sent a crisis team to his house. As relayed by ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez, Jones posted a series of since-deleted Instagram stories explaining the events and questioning why he isn’t allowed to play this weekend.

In one post, Jones showed a picture of a “badge belonging to a member of the Vegas CRT,” with the player claiming the individual said he was a “danger.” Jones also showed a series of texts with Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, where the player added a note that he “won’t share anything else” if the Raiders let him play (via Vic Tafur of The Athletic).

“Now I understand why players turn to social media,” Jones wrote. “At first I frowned upon it. But it’s out only outlet. If I didn’t do this, it would’ve been kept under wraps.”

These late-night social media posts were a continuation of Jones’ bizarre outburst against the Raiders that began earlier this week. Jones started his rant by claiming he was locked out of the Raiders practice facility and had to work out at a local gym. In since-deleted posts, Jones also claimed he no longer wanted to play under head coach Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler.

Jones has missed practice and team meetings this week, making it increasingly unlikely that he’ll be active in Denver on Sunday. McDaniels declined to say whether Jones will be in uniform for the season opener.

“We’ve never really gone into those kind of things, so I’m going to steer away from that,” McDaniels said earlier this week (via Gutierrez).

Jones is in the second year of a three-year, $51MM pact he signed with the Raiders in 2022.

Latest On Raiders, Chandler Jones

September 6th, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chandler Jones‘ Instagram account caused a bit of a controversy this week. Reacting to being locked out of the Raiders’ facility and then going to work out on his own at a public gym, the former All-Pro lashed out at Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler.

The 12th-year pass rusher attempted to contact McDaniels and Ziegler by phone on Tuesday, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore, but was unsuccessful. Jones then said — in since-deleted posts — he no longer wants to be a Raider as long as McDaniels and Ziegler are in charge. The All-Decade-teamer also mentioned he would prefer DC Patrick Graham be the team’s head coach.

This strange development continued to Wednesday, when McDaniels indicated (via ESPN.com’s Field Yates) Jones will not be with the team at practice today. The Raiders gave Jones a three-year, $51MM deal in 2022. McDaniels said this is a private matter and declined to say if the veteran defender would play in the team’s opener, via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. Jones, 33, also did not attend Raiders team meetings Tuesday, Tafur adds.

“It’s a shame that I am a top athlete with 112 sacks in the NFL and I have to go to a local gym to work out during the season for no apparent reason,” Jones said in a different post (h/t Bonsignore), “this is wild to me Josh and you know it you need to do what’s right [sic].”

Although Jones signed with the Raiders last year, he has been on several teams with McDaniels in place as a prominent staffer. Both were with the Patriots from 2012-15, with Jones on his rookie contract and McDaniels in his second stint as New England’s OC. Ziegler was with the Patriots for much of Jones’ Foxborough tenure as well. McDaniels famously alienated a few cornerstone Broncos during his time as their head coach, with one of those conflicts leading to 2009’s blockbuster Jay Cutler trade. A subsequent issue with Brandon Marshall led to a 2010 trade. Considerable time passed in between McDaniels’ HC opportunities, but his Colts about-face in 2018 reinforced a polarizing reputation within the league.

Still, it would be strange if Jones was not in uniform for the Raiders’ opener Sunday in Denver. The team did bring in Tyree Wilson as a likely Jones starter replacement for 2024, but the No. 7 overall pick is expected to supplement Jones and Maxx Crosby this season. The Raiders guaranteed Jones $32MM at signing. He already collected an $8.5MM roster bonus for this year and has $9.67MM in additional salary guarantees in his contract. No guarantees remain on Jones’ deal into 2024.

His game-winning touchdown on the Jakobi Meyers‘ lateral botch notwithstanding, Jones did not live up to his contract last season. He totaled 4.5 sacks in 15 games, though the former Cardinals standout tallied 15 QB hits. Both numbers were well off his 2021 Arizona showing (10.5 sacks, 26 QB hits), however. Jones looms as a 2024 release candidate, but he and the Raiders look to have some fence-mending to do before this season begins.

Raiders Notes: Hobbs, Pass Rush, Jacobs

June 25th, 2023 at 9:47am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s round up a few notes on the NFL’s Sin City franchise:

Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs, a fifth-round pick in 2021, earned nine starts in his first professional season and started all 11 contests he appeared in last year (he missed six games with a broken hand). Working primarily as a boundary corner, the Illinois product regressed a bit from his strong rookie campaign, when he spent most of his time in the slot. Per Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic (subscription required), Hobbs would like to return to nickelback, where he apparently feels more comfortable. However, Tyler Hall, who played in seven games (three starts) for Las Vegas in 2022 after joining the club’s taxi squad in October, is expected to push Hobbs for that role.
During this year’s predraft process, we learned that the Raiders were eyeing Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson and believed that Wilson (or a similar player) could ease some of the burden on Chandler Jones, thereby making Jones more productive after the veteran underwhelmed during his first season in Vegas. Of course, the club ended up selecting Wilson with the No. 7 overall pick, and as Albert Breer of SI.com writes, the Raiders hope that Wilson’s presence will allow both the 33-year-old Jones and soon-to-be 26-year-old Maxx Crosby to see less time on the field. The coaching staff envisions a rotation among the three players to keep everyone fresh, healthy, and productive. Indeed, Wilson himself saw his final college season cut short due to a Lisfranc injury, though he is expected to be cleared in time for training camp.
The Raiders also want to create more of a rotation for their running backs. Assuming franchise-tagged RB Josh Jacobs does not hold out — both he and the club are reportedly motivated to strike an accord on a multiyear deal prior to the July 17 deadline — he will obviously be the feature back. But as Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes, the team wants to expand the roles of 2022 draftees Zamir White and Brittain Brown in an effort to ease Jacobs’ workload and, perhaps, to begin preparing for a Jacobs departure in 2024.

NFL Restructures: McCaffrey, Jones, Franklin-Myers, Jones

May 5th, 2023 at 8:47pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are a few details on recent contract restructures agreed to around the league:

The 49ers were able to reach an agreement on a restructured contract with star running back Christian McCaffrey last week, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, opening up $8.58MM in cap space. The team converted $10.72MM of McCaffrey’s 2023 base salary into a signing bonus and added two void years in order to reach the desired cap savings.
The Raiders were likewise able to restructure the contract of outside linebacker Chandler Jones to free up $5.07MM in cap space, according to Yates. Jones agreed to convert $6.33MM of his 2023 base salary into a signing bonus and add an additional void year to help Las Vegas reach those figures.
Yates also reports that the Jets reached an agreement last week to restructure defensive end John Franklin-Myers‘s contract. New York converted $4.32MM of Franklin-Myers’s 2023 base salary into a signing bonus to clear up $3.46MM in cap space.
In one of the least impactful updates we’ve reported, the Giants‘ cap space decreased by $750K last week because of a corresponding increase to quarterback Daniel Jones‘s cap hit. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the adjustment stems from an incentive Jones can earn this season if he plays over 65 percent of the team’s offensive snaps and wins the division. According to the league’s CBA, “any incentive bonus based on the team’s ranking in its Division automatically will be deemed ‘likely to be earned,'” which adds the incentive automatically to Jones’s 2023 cap hit.

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