The New England Patriots will apparently have to be without cornerback Jack Jones for weeks after he apparently injured his hamstring muscle in training.
This was reported by “The Athletic”, citing sources close to the team. It’s a setback for Jones after he avoided a prison sentence on Tuesday for illegal gun possession following an arrest at a Boston airport.
This is Jones’ second thigh injury, having already missed the last third of the previous season with a similar injury.
This is a big blow for the Patriots, as Jones would have been one of three starters at cornerback this season alongside Jonathan Jones and rookie Christian Gonzalez. With Jones’ loss, Jonathan Jones may now move from the slot to the outside again, so that Myles Bryant, Shaun Wade or Marcus Jones move inside for him.
New England Patriots: Thin personnel in the secondary
In general, the cornerback position is thin on New England’s roster. It is still unclear how serious the 25-year-old’s injury really is and whether he will be placed on the injured reserve list, which would mean he will be out for at least four weeks.
Jones was a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in the 2022 draft and, until the aforementioned injury, played 13 games (2 starts) for the Patriots, in which he was quite impressive. He had 2 interceptions and didn’t allow a touchdown on passes in his direction as the closest defender and only had a passer rating of 39.6. He also managed three pass breakups.
However, he subsequently received a temporary suspension from the Patriots following a dispute over rehab for his injury. However, the disputes were resolved in the offseason.
The Patriots open their season on Sunday at home against the Philadelphia Eagles (10:25 p.m.).