New Miami Dolphins cornerback Jack Jones has something to prove and he’s itching to make a statement in 2025.
After stops with the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders both ended abruptly, Jones is taking his nearly four months on the free agent market personally.
Jones, 27, got out to a quick start to his career with the Patriots, but fell out of favor with New England coaches and was waived during his second season amid disciplinary issues. His stint with the Raiders similarly started strong before ending after a rough 2024 campaign.
“It just lit a fire under me,” Jones told reporters Monday. “Personally, I feel like with the talent I got, I shouldn’t be on three teams in four years. It just lit a spark under me to do right, on and off the field.”
Still, Jones also told reporters he can understand why teams would shy away from him after a relatively turbulent start to his NFL career. So he’s grateful to the Dolphins for adding him to their secondary and he’s hopeful he’ll be able to show the growth he’s made as a person since he was drafted in 2022.
“I would say being more calm, man,” Jones said when asked what he’s changed. “Just my whole life growing up, [I was] just a little emotional. That’s what helps me on the field, you know what I’m saying? It can help me, but it also can hurt me.
“Once I step back and and realize that, it helped me slow down, step back, take the pride out of it, and really look at the situation as what it is and not what I want it to be. … If you’re going to go down the left road or the right road, you got to do some self-evaluating.”
Jones credited several people, including ESPN’s Ryan Clark and former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce, for helping him to grow.
“I didn’t want to be stubborn and be like, ‘I’mma figure it out on my own,’ ’cause that’s not the case,” Jones said. “I think everybody needs help. And you know, it’s just about how much help you need and you got to figure that out on your own.”
In three seasons, Jones has played in 42 NFL games and started 21. He’s recorded seven interceptions and returned four of them for touchdowns. Only three active NFL players have more pick sixes in their career.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: New Dolphins CB has something to prove: ‘Y’all woke me up’
Reporting by Adam Stites, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
