Patriots React to Jack Jones Arrest: 'They're Livid!'
It's perhaps the least of his problems for the time being. But Jack Jones' New England Patriots future is potentially over in the midst of ongoing legal woes.
A report from Jeff Howe of The Athletic states that the team is displeased about Jones' recent arrest for unlawful possession of a firearm, hinting that his New England career could be over as a result.
"He’s in a lot (of trouble) ... The team is understandably and obviously livid over the situation,” Howe said on WBZ-FM's "Toucher and Rich" program. “Putting himself in a position like this is at any time of year, but really like after breaking minicamp and all that stuff, it’s just… they’re livid.”
Jones is facing potential decades in prison if convicted of all of his charges, stemming from an alleged attempt to board an aircraft at Logan Airport with two firearms.
From a football perspective ... again, of minimal concern in the grand scheme of things ... the Patriots could hardly afford the loss of Jones, who earned positive reviews for his work during minicamp. Howe went as far as to hint that Jones, who had an efficient rookie season after arriving in the fourth round of last year's draft, had "the makings of a player who had Pro Bowl potential at some point early in his career.”
But, as Howe said, it's bad enough that Jones got himself into trouble. Additionally, the Patriots fear that the situation could re-sully their reputation, as they've shown a zero-tolerance policy since immediately releasing Aaron Hernandez upon his own charges in 2013.
Such diligence could well lead to a swift end to his Patriots career.
"Right off the bat, there’s a strong possibility that, if convicted, he’s looking at a minimum of three and a half years," Howe said, citing legal experts. "You bring that back over to the team side. Everything that Robert Kraft has done since Aaron Hernandez, I would be very, very surprised if he were a Patriot much longer.”
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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