It looks like Cardale Jones just can’t find a home in the NFL.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Los Angeles Chargers are cutting the 26-year-old quarterback in final roster cut downs after a strong preseason. Jones is best known for his time at Ohio State, where he won a National Championship as the starting quarterback with the Buckeyes during the 2014 season.
Following news of his release, the fourth-year QB took the news well, posting on Twitter that he remains upbeat and positive despite being released by the Chargers.
No “set backs” just set ups. Thanks @Chargers for a great two years.
Jones had completed 28 of his 41 pass attempts (68.2 percent) for 357 yards and one touchdown in four games during the preseason. However, the Chargers are opting to go with offseason signee Tyrod Taylor and fifth-round pick Easton Stick as the backups to Philip Rivers entering the 2019 season.
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Cardale Jones Peaked in College at Ohio State
This isn’t the first time Jones has been cut by the Chargers. The former fourth-round draft selection was initially acquired by the Chargers during the 2017 offseason and was waived by the Chargers prior to the start of the 2018 season. However, he was soon signed to the practice squad and spent the entire year there.
The Ohio State product definitely hasn’t come close to reaching the heights that he had reached as a Buckeye. Jones is best known for his trademark game during the Big Ten Championship Game when he was named MVP after leading the No. 6-ranked Buckeyes to a 59-0 victory over the No. 11-ranked Wisconsin Badgers. At the time, Jones had entered the season as a third-string redshirt sophomore before taking over the starting job prior to the Big Ten title game due to an injury to start J.T. Barrett.
In his first-ever start, Jones threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns in the Big Ten Title Game.
He continued his strong play by leading the Buckeyes to a victory over the No-1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoffs before winning the National Championship Game by leading OSU to a 42-20 victory over the Oregon Ducks.
Although Jones would carry that success into being named the starting quarterback entering the 2015 season — he bypassed the NFL Draft feeling he wasn’t ready after starting just three games — he was benched after starting the first seven games in favor of Barrett.
During his NFL career, Jones has appeared in just one game — back in 2016 with the Buffalo Bills — while completing 6-of-11 passes for 96 yards.
Cardale Jones Could Still Land a Backup QB Job in NFL
Despite being the big man on campus during his short gig as the starting quarterback at Ohio State, Jones will have to look for another job again in the NFL. The Denver Broncos are a notable team after surprisingly releasing veteran quarterback Kevin Hogan. It remains to be seen if the Broncos sign another veteran quarterback, but one would have to assume that they will — their other quarterbacks are the injured Drew Lock and practice squad quarterback Brett Rypien.
The Indianapolis Colts also remain a possibility following the retirement of Andrew Luck.
With the XFL also starting up in 2020, Jones could find a gig there amongst the eight XFL teams.