Chandler Jones, the defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders, who is in the second year of his three-year, $51 million contract with the team, appears to be dissatisfied with the franchise. On Tuesday morning, Jones took to social media to express his grievances, including his frustration at not being allowed access to the team's facility for workouts over the weekend.
In a now-deleted Instagram story, Jones posted, "I don't want to play for the Raiders if that's my head coach or GM... I want Patrick Graham, an Ivy League individual," referencing the team's head coach Josh McDaniels, general manager Dave Ziegler, and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. He also added, "It's a shame that as a top athlete with 112 NFL sacks, I have to go to a local gym to work out during the season for no apparent reason. This is wild to me, Josh, and you know it. You need to do what's right."
These social media posts contrasted sharply with what Jones had posted a day earlier on Twitter (formerly known as X), where he expressed excitement about playing this year and feeling great in practice.
The Raiders have not yet issued a response to these comments, and Jones's agent, Ethan Lock, declined to comment on the situation.
Jones, aged 33, had a slow start last season but gained momentum later on, with standout performances including three sacks against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13 and a game-winning 48-yard fumble return against the Patriots in the final seconds. However, his season was cut short due to an elbow injury suffered in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Eve.
In April, the Raiders drafted edge rusher Tyree Wilson with the No. 7 pick, seemingly as a successor to Jones. Wilson, who had been recovering from a right foot injury, was activated from the non-football injury list on August 16 and made his preseason debut in the exhibition finale against the Dallas Cowboys on August 26.