Patriots release sophomore cornerback Jack Jones

The New England Patriots have apparently seen enough of Jack Jones. According to a report by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and since confirmed by both his agent, Jamal Tooson, and the team, the second-year cornerback has been waived.

“Certainly we want to thank the Patriot organization for drafting Jack,” Tooson said in a statement. “Jack is an immense talent and looks forward to making an immediate contribution on his next team as soon as Sunday.”

Jones, 25, originally arrived in New England as a fourth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft and saw considerable action as a rookie.

Appearing in 13 games with two starts, he played 434 defensive snaps and notched 30 tackles. Jones proved to be an opportunistic player for the Patriots. He caught a pair of interceptions — including a 40-yard pick-six against then-Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers — and also forced and recovered one fumble each.

Despite his productivity, the young defensive back ended his first season in disappointing fashion. After missing two games due to a knee injury suffered in Week 14, he was suspended for two weeks by the team: apparent tardiness in his recovery process led the Patriots voluntarily shutting him down in Weeks 17 and 18.

Controversy continued to follow Jones entering his second year. He was arrested at Boston Logan Airport in spring after allegedly trying to bring two handguns on a cross-country flight; the charges he was facing were dropped in early September.

In addition, Jones stated the season on injured reserve due to a hamstring issue. He returned in Week 7 and over the next four games was on the field for 127 snaps on defense, registering 12 tackles.

However, his playing time decreased recently — in part due to concerns about his reliability and demeanor. Jones reportedly missed curfew ahead of the Patriots’ Week 9 game against the Washington Commanders, and was limited to just 10 snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Now, the team has decided to part ways with the sophomore defender.