CB Jack Jones reunites with Antonio Pierce, former HS and college coach, after being claimed by Raiders
One man's X is another man's treasure, and that couldn't be more of the case than for former New England Patriots cornerback Jack Jones.
After playing only 10 snaps in the Patriots' 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany, on Sunday, Jones was waived by New England the following day. The 2022 fourth-round pick didn't stay on the market for long, though, as the Las Vegas Raiders claimed him Tuesday.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo broke the news of the defensive back reuniting with his former high school and college coach. Yes, you read that right. Antonio Pierce, the Raiders interim head coach, was the head coach at Long Beach Poly High School and the associate head coach/defensive coordinator at Arizona State.
Las Vegas just lost Amik Robertson to a concussion during its 16-12 win over the New York Jets on Sunday night, so the team was teetering on desperate for help in the defensive backfield.
The 25-year-old second-year corner gets a fresh start after off-field issues during the offseason, reportedly not being as engaged as the Patriots would like and seeing a decline in playing time the last two weeks.
In June, Jones was arrested on gun charges at Logan International Airport in Boston. He attempted to bring two loaded guns through TSA, and according to Chris Mason of MassLive, the charges were dropped in September in exchange for one year of pre-trial probation and 48 hours of community service.
A few weeks ago, ahead of a game agains the Washington Commanders, Jones was reportedly late to the team hotel. On the field, Jones also dealt with a stained hamstring that sidelined him for the first six games.
Bill Belichick has been asked twice in the last two weeks about Jack Jones and if Jones has been engaged to the level the team deems satisfactory. He deflected both times, but as Jones’ playing time declined the last two games, it was clear Jones was slipping out of the picture.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 13, 2023
Over 17 career contests, and two starts, Jones recorded 42 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
"Jack’s a talented player,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told reporters Tuesday. “He showed that when he played for us at times. In the end, I just felt like we needed to move on, but he’s a talented player.”
