Getty Las Vegas Raiders DE Chandler Jones.
The Chandler Jones saga for the Las Vegas Raiders doesn’t appear to have an end in sight. He missed the team’s Week 1 game and is set to miss Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills.
He’s been quiet on social media this week, which was a good sign, but now he’s back to causing a scene. In a September 15 post on X, Jones called out Raiders owner Mark Davis and told people to ask him “why I really can’t play.”
It’s not clear what Jones is getting at as the Raiders have been tight-lipped about what exactly is going on with him. This all started when Jones took to social media in a series of September 5 Instagram stories where he blasted head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler.
He even went so far as to post what appeared to be a text message from Davis on September 10 where the owner expressed that he cares more about Jones as a person than a player. It’s unclear how Davis has gotten involved with what appeared to be an issue between Jones, McDaniels and Ziegler.
For now, Jones is still on the roster and the fact that he hasn’t been suspended means that a return is still on the table. However, every time the defensive end posts something about the team on social media, he hurts his chances of returning.
Chandler Jones Says Las Vegas Raiders Haven’t Contacted Him
Chandler Jones is one of the Raiders’ highest-paid players. He has the third-highest cap hit on the team this season with $14.2 million, per Over the Cap. Not having him play is a significant waste of salary cap space.
According to Jones, the Raiders aren’t even contacting him or his representation, per a September 15 X post.
With the Raiders refusing to discuss the topic of Jones, it’s difficult to know their side of the story. The defensive end took to X again and made it clear that this situation wasn’t about money for him. He just wants to get back on the field and play.
Making these issues public on social media isn’t going to help his cause but he’s clearly frustrated. It doesn’t appear a resolution is in sight.
Malcolm Koonce Talks Return to Buffalo Ahead of Week 2
With Chanlder Jones set to miss another game, the Raiders need another defensive end to step up. Tyree Wilson isn’t ready to be an impact player yet as he works his way back into shape so Malcolm Koonce could have an expanded role.
Koonce played college football at Buffalo so playing on the road against the Bills will be a homecoming for him. He says he has fans there but they won’t be rooting for the Raiders.
“They may support me a little bit, but all the people I know in Buffalo made sure I knew they’re Bills fans,” Koonce said after the September 15 practice, per Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “That Bills mafia is legit.”
Koonce hasn’t had a chance to play in Buffalo since coming to the NFL so he’s excited about the opportunity.
“It’s definitely going to be surreal,” Koonce said. “It’s weird because we did a lot of indoor practices at the Bills’ indoor facility (next door), and I always wondered how it would feel to actually play in the stadium.”