The Green Bay Packers have parted ways with one of the more inspirational additions from their 2026 offseason.
Green Bay waived rookie defensive back Marlon Jones from injured reserve with an injury settlement on Oct. 5, according to Easton Butler of Packer Report.
Jones, an undrafted rookie out of Vanderbilt, had been on injured reserve since August after suffering an undisclosed injury during training camp.
The move closes his first stint with the Packers roughly five months after Green Bay signed the former Vanderbilt cornerback. Jones had drawn attention with his battle overcoming Stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma during his college career.
An injury settlement generally allows a player and team to separate while compensating the player for the estimated amount of time he will remain sidelined. Jones can pursue another NFL opportunity once he has recovered and becomes eligible to sign.
Jones Flashed Before Injury Derailed Packers Chance
Jones’ departure comes after he appeared to be putting himself in the discussion for a longer look during training camp.
During Green Bay’s first training camp practice on July 29, Jones jumped a swing pass from quarterback Kyle McCord and returned the interception for what would have been a lengthy touchdown.
Packers.com called it the top defensive play of the practice, with Jones working with the third-team defense at the time.
The momentum didn’t last.
On Aug. 9, the Green Bay Packers officially announced that Jones had been waived with an injury designation. He later cleared waivers and reverted to injured reserve, where he remained through the first month of the regular season.
The exact nature of Jones’ injury hasn’t been publicly disclosed.
Green Bay originally signed the 6-foot, 190-pound defensive back on May 19. The Packers noted at the time that Jones finished his college career with 168 tackles, nine interceptions, 23 passes defensed, seven tackles for loss and one forced fumble across 51 games and 30 starts between Eastern Washington and Vanderbilt.
He recorded two interception returns for touchdowns during that span.
Jones Overcame Cancer Before Reaching NFL
Jones’ way to Green Bay made his NFL shot certainly justified.
After spending the first five seasons of his college career at Eastern Washington, Jones transferred to Vanderbilt ahead of the 2024 season. Before he could play for the Commodores, however, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma.
The diagnosis forced him to miss the entire 2024 campaign.
Jones reached remission and returned to football in 2025, appearing in nine games with one start for Vanderbilt. He recorded nine tackles before entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent.
His comeback became a central part of his story after the Packers signed him.
“It means a lot, just the story that I’ve had to endure, fighting cancer, going through chemo, having to take a year off of football,” Jones said during training camp, according to Packers On SI.
Jones said he had taken “the scenic route” to the NFL and viewed each step as another piece of his journey.
His first chance in Green Bay ended before he could appear in a regular-season game, but the injury settlement allows the 25-year-old to continue his journey elsewhere once healthy.
Packers Cut Ties With Rookie DB Who Beat Stage 3 Cancer