It was an old friend from the New England Patriots who helped push Jonathan Jones to sign with the Washington Commanders in free agency.
In his introduction press conference with Washington, Jones was asked why he decided to join the Commanders. The former Patriots cornerback said that head coach Dan Quinn was a major factor.
Jones said he called some friends around the league and “couldn’t find a person to say a bad thing about him.”
Who did Jones call? For a moment, his New England media training started showing.
“You’re in the media. I can’t tell you my sources,” Jones said with a laugh. “Some of the guys in Dallas, that he had the opportunity to coach. So those guys, I called them.”
But after a moment, Jones relented. He gave out one name: former Patriots All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
“I called him, and he’s, like, ‘Man, he’s a phenomenal coach. You’re going to enjoy playing for him.’ And I was like, ‘Are you sure?’ He was, like, ‘Yeah, he’s a phenomenal coach. He’s going to be one of the best decisions you can make.' That’s a guy that I trust a lot, Gilmore, and he recommended Coach Quinn a lot,” Jones said.
The 31-year-old Jones signed a one-year deal to join the Commanders in free agency. Prior to that, Jones had spent all nine of his NFL season in New England, winning a pair of Super Bowls in the process.
Gilmore, meanwhile, was teammates with Jones for four seasons in Foxborough. Since being traded ahead of the 2021 season, the five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro has bounced around the league, playing for four teams in four seasons. The 34-year-old Gilmore is currently a free agent after spending the 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings.
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