Jonathan Jones feels like he's going through his rookie season all over again, and he's loving every second of it.
Jones, an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots in 2016, has never hit the market during his nine-year career. The team kept him around because of his versatility and competitiveness, and the former Auburn defensive back got to be part of the final era of the Patriots' dynasty, winning two Super Bowls along the way.
Now 31 years old, Jones is ready to enter the next phase of his career and believes he still has the tools to be a meaningful contributor to an NFL team. He feels like the Washington Commanders, who signed him to a one-year deal, give him the best chance to do that.
"It's hard not to want to be a part of that," Jones said.
Jones didn't know much about the Commanders' history prior to the team expressing interest in him, but like many others around the league, he saw the results of the efforts general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn had made to get the team headed in the right direction. One of the biggest surprises, he said, was how quickly they achieved that goal with the new coaches, players and staff members they brought in.
Though Jones and the Patriots didn't play the Commanders in 2024, he could see from the television broadcasts that the players played for each other and brought that positive energy to the sideline on Sundays. They played with a physical nature and competed on every snap, and that matched the style that Jones likes to bring to the field.