Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Workforce Editor
HENDERSON, Nev. – Year Las Vegas Raiders tutor Josh McDaniels would now not talk about why defensive finish Chandler Jones went on a social media harangue in opposition to him and the staff a pace previous, McDaniels did say that Jones used to be now not recently with the staff and used to be now not certain if the four-time Professional Bowl defensive finish can be with the Raiders for Sunday’s season opener on the Denver Broncos.
“Right now, we’re going day to day…so we’ll kind of take it one day at a time,” McDaniels stated in his Wednesday media convention. “It’s a private matter and, you know, if there’s something to report on it, then we’ll do that. But as of right now, there’s nothing.
“I’m now not moving to get into this. It’s a non-public condition. It’s a non-public topic. If you wish to communicate concerning the sport on Sunday, I’ll be excited to discuss the sport.”
Told that Jones, a team captain and team leader, potentially missing the game is related to the game, McDaniels said Jones was not a team captain.
“So it’s what it’s,” McDaniels said. “Like I stated, we’re coping with it internally. We’ve handled it however we’re now not moving to get into this.”
Jones, 33, is entering his 12th NFL season, the second year of the three-year, $51 million free-agent contract he signed with Las Vegas in 2022 and he took to social media Tuesday morning to say he no longer wanted to play with the Raiders after allegedly not being allowed into the team’s facility to work out over the Labor Day holiday weekend.
“F— IT. I DON’T WANNA PLAY FOR THE RAIDERS IF THAT’S MY HC, OR GM…I WANT PATRICK GRAHAM IVY LEAGUE N—A,” Jones posted on his since-deleted Instagram story, referencing Graham, the Raiders’ Yale-educated defensive coordinator.
“THEY WON’T LET ME IN THE BUILDING THO, TRYNY PROVOKE A N—A,” Jones also posted.
“It’s a embarassment that I’m a manage athlete with 112 sacks within the NFL and I’ve to progress to a neighborhood health club to determine throughout the season for disagree obvious reason why that is wild to me Josh and also you understand it you wish to have to do what’s proper,” Jones posted, apparently part of a text string aimed at McDaniels.
Jones’ agent, Ethan Lock, told ESPN he had no comment.
Jones has a long history with McDaniels and Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler, having been drafted by their previous team, the New England Patriots, in 2012 and playing his first four seasons there.
But in January, 2016, Jones was hospitalized after showing up at the Foxborough Police Department, reportedly having had a bad reaction to synthetic marijuana. Jones played in the Patriots’ two playoff games after the hospitalization and less than two months later was traded to the Arizona Cardinals, with whom he spent his next six NFL seasons.
With the Raiders, Jones had a slow start before getting three sacks against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13, adding another sack a week later at the Los Angeles Rams and then giving the Raiders a wild 30-24 walk-off victory against the Patriots on his 48-yard fumble return as time expired.
An elbow injury at the Pittsburgh Steelers a week later on Christmas Eve, though, ended his season.
And with the Raiders having used the No. 7 overall draft pick on edge rusher Tyree Wilson, whose own college season at Texas Tech ended early due to a right foot injury, Jones reported to camp lighter and said he did not need surgery on his elbow. He also welcomed the chance to be a mentor to Wilson.
“All the younger gamers, no matter alternative they’ve to speak to me and aim to select my mind, they do, particularly Tyree,” Jones said early in camp. “However all of the younger gamers, they more or less see me because the used OG. They know that I’ve a dozen of information on this sport, they usually pick out my mind each probability they get.”
— ♛Chandler Jones (@chanjones55) August 31, 2023
With Jones away from the team and possibly not playing at Denver, the Raiders would have to lean more heavily on third-year edge rusher Malcolm Koonce, who has two career sacks, and Wilson, who came off the Non-Football Injury list on Aug. 16 and made his preseason debut in the exhibition finale at the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 26, opposite two-time Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby.
McDaniels said no Raiders player would play 70 snaps in the opener.
“We trade in with various things all over the process the time,” McDaniels said, “whether or not it’s accidents alternative adversities. So, I believe the blokes are desirous about seeking to keep an eye on issues that they are able to keep an eye on and get in a position to play games the most efficient sport we will be able to play games on Sunday.”
