The Las Vegas Raiders have placed veteran defensive end Chandler Jones on the non-football illness list.
The move comes as Jones has been embroiled in a social media feud with the team’s management and has been absent from the roster since Labor Day weekend.
The official announcement of Chandler Jones being placed on the NFI list was made through the league’s official transactions wire.
The team cited “personal matters” as the primary cause for his absence.
Sources: #Raiders pass-rusher Chandler Jones has been placed on the non-football illness list as he deals with a personal issue. The team has stood behind him and no one has ruled out a return if his situation improves. pic.twitter.com/eWac9C8ane
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 20, 2023
Jones’ turbulent relationship with the Raiders came to the forefront when he took to social media platforms to express his dissatisfaction with the team, its owner, Mark Davis, general manager Dave Ziegler, and coach Josh McDaniels.
In a series of posts, Jones indicated that he no longer wanted to play for the Raiders.
On September 6th, Jones alleged that the Raiders had sent a crisis response team to his home, further escalating the public dispute.
Throughout this ordeal, McDaniels consistently referred to Jones’ situation as “personal” and maintained a stance of privacy, refraining from commenting even as Jones’ social media activity intensified.
Over the weekend, Jones made the claim that his social media accounts had been hacked. (Believe that if you want.)
The consequences of this situation have led to Jones being inactive for the Raiders first two games of the season, a victory against the Denver Broncos and a loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Despite his absence, Jones remained on the team’s 53-man roster until the recent placement on the NFI list.
Jones’ placement on the NFI list entails that he will miss at least the next four games. If he is not reinstated by the end of this four-week waiting period, he could remain on the list for the remainder of the season, casting further doubt on his future with the team.
The most shocking part about this text exchange between chandler jones and Mark Davis is that MD capitalizes every word pic.twitter.com/XmmGd9cr9T
— Gary Stack (@Gary_Stack) September 15, 2023
McDaniels, when asked about a potential resolution regarding Jones’ roster spot, responded: “Again, there’s nothing. I can’t do anything about it at this point. So, we’re just respecting that process and understand the situation, and that’s really all I can say about it.”
Despite the ongoing controversy, two of Jones’ teammates voiced their support for him.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby stated: “Chandler’s our brother, we love him. For us, we’re focused on winning, focused on the Pittsburgh Steelers. We’re just focused on the day. That’s all we can do.”
Running back Josh Jacobs added: “Honestly, in the building, it hasn’t been a distraction at all. All we do is pray for Chandler and his situation or whatever it might be and just wish him the best.”
“It is not something that people take personally or come in and be getting mad or feel like it’s a distraction. It hasn’t been a distraction in this building … just thinking of him and praying for him.”
Jones, 33, is currently in the second season of a three-year, $51 million free-agent contract he signed with the Raiders.
If he were to return to the team, he would have to miss at least the next four games, including matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Los Angeles Chargers, and home games against the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots.
What are your thoughts on the bizarre Jones situation?