The New England Patriots will not franchise tag corner Jonathan Jones, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapopport. Jones will hit the open market, although the team has interest in bringing him back.
He had a productive year for the Patriots in the 2022 season. He recorded 69 combined tackles and four interceptions. He was a key corner for New England and often got matched up against the opposing team’s top wide receiver. The 2022 season was a bit of a rebound one for him, after he missed a large portion of 2021 due to injury.
The loss of Jones could be a big one for New England, although the Patriots have been through this before, most recently last year, when cornerback J. C. Jackson tested the open market and landed in Los Angeles.
The #Patriots won't franchise tag standout CB Jonathan Jones, source said. He'll hit the market, though New England has interest in bringing him back.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 7, 2023
It will be intriguing to see what happens with Jones. He is a valuable piece of the Patriots’ secondary, but the organization has shown an ability to develop corners in the past.
They might have to do so again.
