Back in 2016, the New England Patriots made a trade that shocked a lot of people. The reason the trade was surprising was because star pass rusher Chandler Jones was dealt to the Arizona Cardinals.
At the time, it made little sense getting rid of Jones. However, this was the Patriots, so people gave them the benefit of the doubt. They always seemed to know when to get rid of someone or give someone a chance.
However, a few years down the line and it still seems weird that they let Jones go. In his four years with the Cardinals, Jones has 60 sacks. That leads the entire NFL.
But the Patriots are still winning. So at the same time, it's not like this didn't work out for New England.
Now Jones has opened up about the trade though. According to Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com, Jones is very rational about the situation.
“When I spoke to Bill [Belichick] when I got traded, he told me it was best for the team; this was the best decision for our team,” Jones said. “At the time, I didn’t understand. That next year, they won the Super Bowl, so I did understand that was best for the team — saved money, and they actually went and won. There were no hard feelings at all. I understood it’s a business and it was what was best for the team.”
That's a pretty boring response for anyone hoping for some drama. Jones simply points out that Bill Belichick was very understanding of the situation. He told Jones it was nothing against him and that it was just the best decision for the team.
It's hard to argue, seeing as they've won two Super Bowls and made it to another in the four years since the trade.
Jones is thriving, and the Patriots are thriving. Everyone got something good out of the deal, and both sides seem to understand that. That's all there is to this.
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