Former Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones is leaving to sign a one-year free-agent deal with the Commanders, according to a source.
Jones, 31, leaves after nine seasons in New England, where he won two Super Bowls and entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He was the longest-tenured member of the Patriots' defense. Jones' departure leaves center David Andrews, linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley and long snapper Joe Cardona as the last active members of the Patriots' last Super Bowl team, with defensive lineman Deatrich Wise still unsigned in free agency.
Jones departs after the Patriots reached terms on a three-year, $54 million deal with veteran cornerback Carlton Davis on Monday. Davis, 28, is a bigger, more physical cornerback who fits new coach Mike Vrabel's vision and projects to start opposite young star Christian Gonzalez.
There was mutual interest between Jones and the Patriots in a reunion, a source said, but the team opted to continue overhauling its cornerbacks room under Vrabel, even parting ways with position coach Mike Pellegrino in late January.
Jones started as the Patriots' No. 2 outside cornerback in recent years after breaking into the league as a nickelback and core special teamer. He reverted into more of a utility role the past two seasons, playing nickel, outside corner and, occasionally, safety. Jones' versatility keyed the Patriots' victory in Super Bowl LIII over the Rams, when he played safety for the first time as part of a surprise game plan that birthed the best defensive performance in Super Bowl history.
Jones first stepped into the national spotlight during that Super Bowl run, shadowing Chiefs All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill two weeks earlier during the the 2018 AFC Championship Game, a 37-31 Patriots win. Until that point, Jones had been a spot starter for the Patriots, intercepting three passes over four seasons.
In 2019, he seized a full-time starting role on defense and made 53 tackles around eight pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Jones enjoyed his best statistical season in 2022, intercepting a career-high four passes and forcing three fumbles. But he failed to intercept a pass in each of the past two seasons, when the Patriots increasingly relied on his leadership but less his on-field performance.
Jones leaves Gonzalez, Davis, Alex Austin, Marcus Jones, Marcellas Dial Jr, Isaiah Bolden and Miles Battle in the team's cornerbacks room.