Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones took aim at his own club on social media Tuesday after he apparently was unable to gain access into the team gym.
In a series of since-deleted posts on Instagram, Jones shared screenshots of text messages purportedly sent to head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. Jones later wrote that the team was attempting to “provoke” him by keeping him from the facility, and said he didn’t “wanna play for the Raiders if that’s my HC or GM.”
It was not clear why Jones could not access the gym. He said he worked out elsewhere.
Jones also claimed that the team contacted the mother of his child despite the lack of a current relationship between the two parties.
Jones signed a three-year, $51 million deal with Las Vegas as a free agent in March 2022. He restructured his contract in April to lower his base salary to $1.165 million this season by converting some of the money due to a bonus.
Jones, 33, recorded 38 tackles, 4.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries in 15 games (all starts) last season, his first with the Raiders. His signature moment with Las Vegas came in Week 15 when he grabbed a Patriots lateral in the closing seconds and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown to give the Raiders an unlikely 30-24 victory.
A four-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro, Jones has 511 tackles, 112 sacks and 13 fumble recoveries — including two returned for touchdowns — in 154 career games (151 starts) with the New England Patriots (2012-15), Arizona Cardinals (2016-21) and Raiders.
Jones was a former first-round draft pick (21st overall) by the Patriots in 2012 out of Syracuse.
–Field Level Media