New England Patriots' Jack Jones criticized Ja Morant over gun issues before his own arrest on gun charges

When a new video surfaced allegedly showing Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant flashing a gun on Instagram, the NBA star received a flood of criticism from around the world. It turns out, New England Patriots cornerback Jack Jones was among those to publicly call out Morant.

Jones had his own share of off-field issues as a young athlete. In 2018, he was arrested for commercial burglary at Panda Express. He was also kicked out of USC for poor academics, suspended by Arizona State for violations of team conduct and had off-field concerns when he entered the 2022 NFL Draft.

The red flags pushed Jones, one of the top cornerbacks in the 2022 draft class, down draft boards. New England took a chance on him with the 121st overall pick, hoping he turned a corner.

Jack Jones stats: 25 solo tackles, six pass deflections, two interceptions

As a rookie, Jones showed flashes of becoming a high-end starting cornerback. He was one of the best defensive players in his draft class. Near the end of his rookie season, he was suspended by the Patriots for poor conduct.

Months later, Jones was one of the most vocal pro athletes to criticize Morant for playing around with guns and not taking his career seriously.

@JaMorant dumb.. you letting social media and yo pride ruin yo real money. Put them guns down and run that money up. Make one of yo homies sign up for security or concealed carry if you feel like you need it that bad.. but you the bread winner you gotta start acting like it..
— Jack Jones🏄🏽‍♂️ (@presidentjacc) May 15, 2023

Just over a month later, the 25-year-old cornerback was arrested at Boston’s Logan Airport after two firearms were found in his travel bags.

Jones was charged with two counts of possession of a concealed weapon in a secure area of the airport, possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm and possession of a large-capacity feeding device.

“We have been notified that Jack Jones was arrested at Logan Airport earlier today. We are in the process of gathering more information and will not be commenting further at this time.”
New England Patriots statement on the arrest of Jack Jones (H/T ESPN)

Morant received a 25-game suspension for his actions, which didn’t violate any state or federal laws. While Jones likely won’t face significant discipline from the NFL, his repeated off-field issues could soon jeopardize his future in New England.

If Jones is suspended by the NFL or the Patriots impose their own discipline on the second-year cornerback, it would be a significant blow for one of the best NFL defenses in 2023.