Las Vegas Raiders star Chandler Jones isn't with the team after he posted frustrated messages on his Instagram, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
“#Raiders coach Josh McDaniels says Chandler Jones is not with the team today and called it a ‘private' and ‘personal' manner,” Rapoport reported.
Jones, a talented defender, was frustrated after not being able to get into the Raiders gym.
It appears as if Jones and the Raiders relationship isn't in the best spot, something that became even more apparent following an interaction between Paul Gutierrez of ESPN and head coach Josh McDaniels, via Jimmy Durkin of The Athletic.
“McDaniels said he'd be happy to take questions about the game. When pressed by @PGutierrezESPN that this is related to the game with Jones being a leader and captain, McDaniels said: ‘He's not a captain,'” Durkin shared.
Jones is one of the better defensive linemen in the NFL. He's a four-time Pro Bowler who's finished within the top three of Defensive Player of the Year voting twice. Jones also led the league in sacks during the 2017 season with the Arizona Cardinals.
He joined the Raiders in 2022 and recorded only 4.5 sacks, a career-low for seasons in which he's played more than 1o games. Despite the disappointing season, Jones is still expected to play a pivotal role for Las Vegas in 2023. However, his future with the Raiders is now clouded in uncertainty.
Las Vegas needs to figure things out and get Jones back on the field. We will continue to monitor and provide updates on this situation as they are made available.