A day after signing former Pro Bowl corner Riq Woolen as outside CB2, the Eagles added cornerback depth Wednesday by signing veteran corner Jonathan Jones to a one-year contract, NBC Sports Philadelphia confirmed after it was first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Jones, 32, has played in 144 regular-season games with 78 yards in 10 seasons, the first nine with the Patriots and last year with Washington. He has 11 career interceptions, the last four in 2022. Jones won Super Bowls with the Patriots after the 2016 and 2018 seasons.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Jones 144 games played are 3rd-most among active cornerbacks, behind Slay’s 187 and Jalen Ramsey’s 154.
The Patriots signed Jones as an undrafted rookie in 2016 out of Auburn, where he was a secondary starter alongside Blake Countess, the Eagles’ 6th-round pick in 2016. He was largely a backup in his first six seasons playing for Bill Belichick, although he did start 27 games from 2016 through 2021. From 2022 through 2024, he was a full-time starter. Last year in Washington, he started seven games.
With Quinyon Mitchell and Woolen set at outside corner and Cooper DeJean and Michael Carter Jr. as the inside corners, Jones is a depth piece who could compete in training camp for a roster spot with incumbents Jakorian Bennett and Kelee Ringo.
Neither Bennett nor Ringo played well when given opportunities on defense last year but both remain under contract. Adoree’ Jackson, who started 10 games at outside corner last year, is a free agent and currently unsigned.
Along with Mitchell, Woolen, DeJean, Bennett, Carter Ringo, the Eagles have Mac McWilliams, a 5th-round pick last year out of Central Florida, in the cornerback room.
Jones was a track star at Carrollton (Ga.) High School. In June 2011, he placd 3rd in the 110-meter hurdles at New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., in 13.72, and he won Georgia state titles in the 110 highs, 300-meter intermediates and long jump.
The Eagles have only had a handful of cornerbacks 32 or older. Slay and Troy Vincent played here until they were 33, Orlando Scandrick was 32 during his brief tenture with the Eagles and before that you have to go back to Don Griffin and Barry Wilburn during the mid-1990s.