The New England Patriots’ longest-tenured defenders will not be back in 2025. Cornerback Jonathan Jones and defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr., who spent the first nine and eight seasons of their respective careers with the team, have reportedly both signed one-year contracts to join the Washington Commanders.
Jones and Wise Jr. are the second and third members of the Patriots’ free agency class to leave the team, joining new Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
Before looking at the two departures from a more sentimental perspective, though, let’s analyze how Jones and Wise Jr. leaving for Washington impacts the Patriots from an on-field point of view. The two defenders, after all, have been mainstays on the New England defense for several seasons, and important leaders on and off the field.
No surprise
At the end of the day, neither Jones nor Wise Jr. signing elsewhere comes as too big a surprise. Both are on the wrong side of 30 and were cornerstones of a previous regime. While that would not have made them any less valuable for the Patriots moving forward, it created potential for a split. In both cases, that split did indeed occur.
Those aspects are one part, another is where the two veterans stand in their respective careers. Jones looked like he had lost some speed on occasion in 2024, while Wise Jr.’s snaps decreased to their lowest total since 2019. The writing was therefore on the wall.
Next man up at cornerback
Jones finished 2024 ranked second among the team’s cornerbacks with 712 defensive snaps (63.7%). Just like he has ever since the 2022 season when he moved over from the slot, he aligned primarily on the defensive perimeter. As such, he served as the Patriots’ No. 2 opposite All-Pro Christian Gonzalez.
Even before Jones’ departure, the team made sure to solidify the spot: free agent Carlton Davis will put his signature under a three-year, $54 million contract to become Gonzalez’s new running mate. With him in the fold and Jones out of the picture, the Patriots’ cornerback group now looks as follows:
Cornerback (8): Christian Gonzalez (0), Carlton Davis (—), Marcus Jones (25 | PR), Alex Austin (28), Marcellas Dial Jr. (27), Isaiah Bolden (29), Miles Battle (35), D.J. James (30)
At the moment, Gonzalez, Davis and Marcus Jones project as the starting trio at cornerback: the former two will align mostly on the outside, with the latter in the slot. The Patriots adding more bodies to the mix, possibly to compete with the remaining Jones, could very well happen.
New-look defensive line
The Patriots defensive line is set to look dramatically different in 2025.
After already trading Davon Godchaux to the New Orleans Saints earlier this week, it now lost its longest-tenured member to the Commanders. Add the fact that Daniel Ekuale is also on the market as an unrestricted free agent, and the team is looking at three of its top 5 interior linemen potentially playing elsewhere next season.
Of course, the Patriots are embracing that turnover. Their D-line personnel will reflect new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams bringing more of an attacking rather than a gap-control style.
As a consequence, New England signed two free agent linemen — Milton Williams and Khyiris Tonga — to solidify the front line. With them in the fold, and with Wise Jr. now headed to Washington, the group looks as follows:
Interior defensive line (8): Christian Barmore (90), Milton Williams (--), Keion White (99), Khyiris Tonga (--), Jeremiah Pharms Jr. (98), Jaquelin Roy (94), Eric Johnson (96), Marcus Harris (58)
Unrestricted free agents (1): DT Daniel Ekuale
With the trio of Christian Barmore, Milton Williams and Keion White at the core, the Patriots have a solid foundation in place. As is the case at cornerback, that does not mean the team won’t make any additional investments: the run defense in particular is looking like it could need some expertise up front.
Leadership void
One day after losing one captain — Jacoby Brissett — another is out the door as well: Wise Jr. held that prestigious title for the last three seasons, being one of the vocal and emotional leaders on the defensive side of the ball.
An outspoken and upbeat persona, Wise Jr. maintained a level of positivity and professionalism even in light of the team struggling through its post-dynasty era. Along the way, he served as a mentor for the younger group of linemen joining the team, primarily Keion White and Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
Jones, meanwhile, took over as the elder statesman in the Patriots’ secondary after Devin McCourty’s departure in 2023. While not the same type of leader as his former teammate and never elevated to the status of captain such as Wise Jr., he still held an important role in the secondary.
Christian Gonzalez explained what it looked like during an appearance on the Frat Rules Podcast earlier this year.
“Jonathan Jones, No. 31, he’s like the vet in our room. He just finished Year 9. He got two Super Bowls with the Patriots,” he said.
“It’s not even just football stuff. It’s off-the-field stuff. And he came into the league undrafted, so he went undrafted, worked his way through special teams to being a starter. He has seen it all. He knows all the stuff. So, just asking him, how to move around in Boston, where to live, how to do things. He’s been there nine years, so he knows it.”
Jones and Wise Jr. leaving creates obvious holes in the leadership department.
Dynasty group shrinking
Jones and Wise Jr. were two of the last remaining members of the Patriots’ dynasty days. With neither returning, the group of players who was part of a Super Bowl-winning squad in New England is now reduced to three.
Center David Andrews, linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley and long snapper Joe Cardona — all three of whom voted captains in 2024 — are the only members of the team left who rode the duck boats through the streets of Boston at one point. The other 67 players currently under contract with the team were all brought in at a later point.
Of course, the Patriots do have some championship pedigree on their coaching staff. As an outside linebacker, head coach Mike Vrabel was part of the team’s first three wins; offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, meanwhile, is the owner of six Super Bowl rings with the club.
All in all, though, the memories of those glory days continue fading into an increasingly distant memory.
One hell of a story
Neither Jones nor Wise Jr. will find themselves in the Patriots Hall of Fame anytime soon, but they still had highly successful careers with the club to look back on. That is especially true considering their career arcs.
Jones joined the team in 2016 as an undrafted free agent out of Auburn, relying on his special teams skills and ability to play multiple roles in the secondary to stay on the team early in his career. A classic do-your-job Patriot, he developed into one of the league’s better slot cornerbacks and eventually transitioned into becoming an outside corner over the second half of his tenure.
Wise Jr., meanwhile, was part of the smallest draft class in Patriots history. A tweener of sorts coming out of Arkansas, the 131st pick in the 2017 draft — one of just four selections that year — started out as an edge before moving inside. A serviceable role player, he broke out in Year 6 as both a leader on as well as off the field.
Despite joining the Patriots under little fanfare, Jones and Wise Jr. ended up seeing action in 140 and 132 combined regular season and playoff games. They share three Super Bowl wins between them.