At a time when players are working hard to earn a spot on the 53-man roster of the Minnesota Vikings, getting in trouble with the law can be costly.
With the fourth and final preseason game for the Minnesota Vikings rapidly approaching, many players are preparing for their last chance to impress the team’s coaching staff in a game-type situation.
One way to make a very poor impression is to get arrested before the team makes its final cuts and put your roster spot in danger. Sadly, this is exactly what happened to wide receiver Cayleb Jones on Tuesday.
The news was broken by KSTP5 ABC, where they revealed the young pass catcher was being held on two alleged counts at the Dakota County Jail: felony-level theft and misdemeanor-level domestic assault. He has not been formally charged with either count.
According to the KSTP website, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman issued a statement following the news:
"“We are aware of the situation involving Cayleb Jones and are in the process of gathering more information. Further comment will be provided at the appropriate time.”"
Jones signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent following the 2016 NFL Draft. He stuck with the team during the preseason, but was waived as part of the final roster cuts.
Signing a reserve/futures contract with Minnesota on January 2, 2017, Jones stuck with the team, landing on the practice squad and earning another reserve/future contract for the next season.
The news is even worse for Cayleb Jones. Despite having a solid preseason, he was already handed down a four-game suspension by the NFL on April 30, 2018 for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substance.
While Jones has not been charged with anything at the time of this article being published, being linked to a charge like domestic assault or felony theft is never good for an individual or an organization. However, until he is charged or more information is revealed, it is difficult to speculate what will happen with the wide receiver or the course of action the Minnesota Vikings will take.