Green Bay Packers and safety Josh Jones are heading towards divorce. ESPN reports that Jones recently asked Packers to trade him and even decided to skip OTAs hoping to force a change of scenery.
According to sources close to the situation, Jones, who was a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, thinks that he would benefit being with another team after having a disappointing 2018 season. He played 13 games (five as a starter) last year and recorded 55 tackles, two passes defended, and 1.0 sacks.
Green Bay might feel that parting ways is the best solution for both sides, as they already spent big on safeties this offseason. They signed former Chicago Bears’ safety on a four-year, $37 million contract while also drafting Maryland’s Darnell Savage Jr. with the 21st overall pick in 2019 NFL Draft.
When asked about Jones on Tuesday, Packers coach Matt LaFleur remained tight-lipped about the situation and suggested that general manager Brian Gutekunst might be a better address for those questions.
“Honestly, that’s something that I’m going to let Gutey handle, and we’ll go from there,” – said LaFleur. “Right now, I’m just going to focus on the guys that are here. I guess we’ll cross that bridge when it comes. But that’s something that I know Gutey has a good handle on that situation.”
Josh Jones initially showed promise in his rookie season with the Packers, managing to contribute with 71 combined tackles, five pass deflections, 2.0 sacks, and one interception while playing the majority of the year as a backup safety. Still, he struggled with consistency in his sophomore season which prompted Green Bay to search for other solutions.
