Rookie linebacker Marvin Jones Jr. suffered an injury while on the Washington Commanders practice squad this week. As a result, his tenure with the team has ended.
According to the NFL transaction wire, the Commanders parted ways with the linebacker Thursday.
Two days prior, the Commanders placed Jones on the practice squad injured list. The team didn’t disclose his injury. The Commanders then cut Jones with an injury settlement.
While Jones went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, he intrigued some draft analysts with his athleticism.
“He has good size and comes from NFL bloodlines,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote during the 2026 draft process. “His play strength and aggression at the point of attack are average, but his hands stay active and he gets off blocks when needed.”
Because of the injury settlement, Jones will have the chance to sign with a new NFL team this season once healthy.
Commanders Part Ways With LB Marvin Jones Jr.
While the NFL transaction wire listed Jones as just a “linebacker,” he’s really an outside linebacker or edge rusher.
Jones started his college career at Georgia, where he was part of the program’s second championship of their back-to-back titles in 2022. Over two seasons with the Bulldogs, he registered 16 combined tackles, including 5.5 for loss and two sacks in 25 games.
In 2024, Jones played at Florida State, where he posted a career-best four sacks. He finished his college career at Oklahoma. For the Sooners, Jones registered 21 combined tackles, including five for loss with two sacks and one pass defense in 13 games.
No matter where he played at the college level, Jones’s production didn’t really match his potential. That was a big enough cause for concern with Jones that he went undrafted. But when healthy, he was a worthwhile roll of the dice for the Commanders.
“So far, Jones has not been able to convert his traits into high-level production,” wrote Zierlein. “His rush plan and toolbox do not stand out on tape.”
The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks apparently thought that as well. The Seahawks signed Jones as an undrafted free agent this past spring. He didn’t make the team ahead of the league’s final roster deadline, but the Seahawks re-signed him to the practice squad a day later.
Jones didn’t last very long on the Seattle practice squad. But within two weeks of his release in Seattle, he landed on the Washington practice squad.
When healthy, it would be surprising if Jones doesn’t get another opportunity with a team this season.
Jones’s father, Marvin Jones Sr., was the fourth overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft. He played 11 years in the league, which he spent entirely with the New York Jets.
In 142 games, Jones Sr. posted nine sacks, 25 tackles for loss and 18 pass defenses. He also intercepted five passes.
Jones Sr. played college football at Florida State and is in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Commanders Officially Cut Ties With Athletic Rookie LB