Patriots suspend 2 players ahead of Bills game
Nov 18, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick walks on the field before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots are pulling an interesting disciplinary move ahead of their regular season finale.
The NFL transaction wire revealed on Friday that the Patriots have moved punter Jake Bailey and cornerback Jack Jones from the “reserve/injured” list to the “reserve/suspended” list. The move was dated Dec. 31.
While no details have emerged on what the players may have done to merit a suspension, neither was seen at practice or in the locker room all week (per Chris Mason of MassLive). Mason adds that this appears to be a case of internal discipline since no formal press release came from the NFL.
Bailey has been New England’s first-string punter for the last four seasons but posted a career-worst 42.1 yards per punt this season. He was placed on injured reserve with a back injury in Week 9, and Michael Palardy has been handling the Patriots’ punting duties ever since.
For Jones, he made 13 appearances (including two starts) for New England this year, even having an incredible defensive moment on a well-known QB. Jones went on injured reserve after a Week 14 knee injury however.
Information may eventually surface about what ultimately led to the two suspensions. But the Patriots have levied some other prominent internal suspensions before.
