Report: Patriots CB Jack Jones expected to miss ‘at least’ 2 more weeks

Patriots

Even with New England’s midweek trade for J.C. Jackson, the team’s depth at corner is in rough shape.

With rookie Christian Gonzalez reportedly set to miss the rest of the 2023 season due to a torn labrum, the Patriots bolstered their depth at corner Wednesday by re-acquiring J.C. Jackson from the Chargers. 

But New England will reportedly have to wait a bit longer for more in-house reinforcements to arrive on the team’s depleted defensive backfield.

Second-year cornerback Jack Jones was eligible to come off of injured reserve this week ahead of the Patriot’s home contest against the Saints on Sunday.

But according to a report from Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the talented DB is still not quite ready to play while recovering from a hamstring injury.

“Jack Jones is expected to be at least two more weeks away from playing, per source,” Howe reported Thursday. “Initial expectation was an absence of about two months, so no surprise here.”

Jones, who injured his hamstring just before the start of the 2023 regular season, has not been spotted at Patriots practice as the team prepares for New Orleans. 

The return of a ball-hawk corner in Jackson (26 interceptions in 69 NFL games) is a welcome sight, given the slew of injuries that have decimated New England’s defense as of late. 

Along with the loss of Gonzalez’s coverage skills and Jack Jones’ big-play capabilities (two interceptions, one forced fumble in 2022), New England also has another corner, Marcus Jones, currently on IR.

Veteran corner Jonathan Jones has also missed the last three games due to an ankle injury, and was limited as a limited participant in practice once again on Thursday.