Tim Jones knew he was eventually going to make Jaguars 53-man roster

Earning a spot on an NFL 53-man roster is an important milestone for several players. But it’s just one of the many steps along the way and making the team doesn’t guarantee you’ll remain there for the rest of the year. In fact, several players who originally made the cut have already been waived or released the day. Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Tim Jones, on the other hand, seems to be safe and is ready for what’s next.

Jones had a productive offseason and outplayed fellow wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, Laviska Shenault Jr., Jeff Cotton Jr., and Kevin Austin Jr. All of them got the boot but Jones remains in Jacksonville. The former Southern Mississippi Golden Eagle spoke to the media Tuesday once he had made the final 53, and said that he knew he would make it with the Jaguars or somewhere else.

“I knew eventually it was coming”, Jones said. “I’m not the type of guy just to come in and be on somebody’s practice squad for the whole time in the NFL. Eventually, I knew I was gonna have to work my way up and work my way in somewhere, whether it was going to be here, or another football team”.

Jones goes on to say that training camp went really well. He notes that it wasn’t easy, “there were some tough times in there” but thinks “it went smooth”. In four preseason games, Jones caught 14 of 17 targets for 219 yards (82.4 percent catch rate) and posted a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 72. 4. His three receptions for 103 yards against the Atlanta Falcons in the finale solidified his case for a roster spot. Here’s his conversation with the media.

Tim Jones seized the opportunity the Jaguars gave him

Jaguars signed Jones after going undrafted last year. They waived him before the start of the 2021 season with an injury settlement but was signed to the practice squad one month later. As he said, he worked his way up the roster, and staying healthy certainly increased his chances of ultimately getting a roster spot.

Had you said in March that the Mississippi native would make the Jaguars’ roster over Laquon Treadwell and Laviska Shenault, you would have probably gotten a weird look. But he put his head down and made the most of his chance, which is something head coach Doug Pederson talked about when discussing Jones making the team and something offensive coordinator Press Taylor echoed when he spoke to the media.

“Tim Jones is honestly somebody that took full advantage of the opportunity”, Taylor said. “We did a lot to really test him and make sure that he was developing like we thought early”.

Of course, this is just the beginning for Jones, and he will need to continue working hard if he wants to make an impact in 2022. As All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt once said, “success isn’t owned, it’s leased, and rent is due every day“, which is the mantra Jones and every player looking for a chance must adopt.