Getty Maxx Crosby & Chandler Jones of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas Raiders had to deal with quite a bit of drama when star defensive end Chandler Jones went on his Instagram on September 5 and started calling out head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. He has since deleted the posts but he went so far as to suggest that he doesn’t want to play for the Raiders going forward.
Since the initial posts, there’s been little information revealed as Jones stopped posting and the Raiders are staying tight-lipped. With there only being mere days before the team makes their regular season debut against the Denver Broncos, this is a major distraction.
Wide receiver Davante Adams is a team captain and it’s part of his job to keep the team focused. While he didn’t address Jones directly, he had a message for the team about what they needed to do before Week 1.
“Everybody’s just gotta focus what we gotta focus on, and the only thing that’s important this week is this game so … gotta lock in on that,” Adams said during his September 6 media availability.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby has formed a close friendship with Jones and he’s stayed mum on the situation. However, he did suggest that the situation could be resolved.
“Everything’s in-house,” Crosby said, per a September 6 X post by The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. “We’re good.”
Until more information is revealed, it’s difficult to understand exactly what happened. Regardless, this isn’t what any team wants right before the season starts.
Maxx Crosby on Chandler Jones situation: “Everything’s in house. We’re good.”
Josh McDaniels Says Chandler Jones Is Away From Team
Chandler Jones’ status with the Raiders is up in the air. The media pressed head coach Josh McDaniels in his first press conference since the incident and wouldn’t budge.
“It’s a personal situation and a private matter,” McDaniels told reporters during his September 6 media availability. “We have dealt with it, and I am not going to talk about it.”
The fact that he says the team has “dealt with it” could mean that there won’t be another blow-up coming in the near future. That said, McDaniels did drop some key information.
“Right now, we’re going day to day. He’s not going to be here today, so we’re going to take it one day at a time,” McDaniels said.
The fact that Jones wasn’t at practice isn’t a good sign. If he’s not back in the coming days, that’ll be indicative of a bigger problem. Taking one day off to cool off isn’t a big deal for a veteran but if his absence continues, it could mean that he’s in serious hot water with the team.
Will Chandler Jones Play in Week 1?
It’s difficult to know what Chandler Jones’ future might hold. He disrespected his head coach and general manager in a very public way. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he faced some sort of punishment. As of now, it seems unlikely he’ll suit up against the Broncos on Sunday.
Even if the situation is resolved, the Raiders may feel the need to punish him for airing these issues out to the public. There’s also a chance the team will move on from him entirely. If Jones is out, expect a lot of snaps from Malcolm Koonce and rookie Tyree Wilson. If they play well, moving on from Jones becomes an easier decision.