Jack Jones was one of the standouts in the Las Vegas Raiders’ 63-21 victory last Thursday against the Los Angeles Chargers. The performance comes a few weeks after the Silver and Black claimed him off waivers, and he appears grateful to have reunited with Antonio Pierce.
Despite the AFC playoffs looking like a long shot for the Raiders, every player on the squad is playing for a spot on the 2024 team. Even Pierce is using these last few games to have the interim removed from his head coach title. As a result, Jones knows that this opportunity with the Raiders will allow him to get his NFL career back on track.
Jack Jones doesn’t hide emotions about reuniting with Antonio Pierce
Jones’ time with the Raiders’ interim head coach dates back to when the two were together at Long Beach Poly High School and Arizona State University. Eventually, the two separated, with the 26-year-old heading to the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Jones suffered frequent injuries during his career with the Patriots, which hindered his progress. And was eventually cut for missing curfew at the team hotel and was benched and played a reduced role earlier this 2023 NFL season. The Raiders would claim Jones, and he spoke on Tuesday about reuniting with Pierce again.
“He means everything to me,” Jones said of Pierce (h/t ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez). “He’s damn near like a father figure… from high school all the way up until now. Just mentoring me through the ups and downs. Man, he’s a big piece of my life. I mean, without him, who knows where I’d be at.”
Could the Raiders see the best of Jack Jones?
It’s never a wild situation to think that Las Vegas could see the best of Jones after his stint with New England didn’t work out. The cornerback made a good impression that there’s untapped potential after he had a pick-six, along with one pass defended and five tackles against the Chargers.
Furthermore, Pro Football Focus revealed that Jones has the highest grade (94.2) of any player this week. For the former Sun Devil, this opportunity to end the season with the Raiders could allow him to build momentum for 2024 and possibly be a starter. Nonetheless, Pierce spoke highly of Jones, which is a confidence booster heading into a Christmas Day showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.
“He’s always been a wild card, sometimes hit or miss, good or bad,” Pierce said of Jones. “But he’s a very good football player.”
*Top Photo: Getty Images