Chandler Jones’ 41 sacks over the past three seasons are more than any other NFL player.
Jones is among the best pass rushers in the game, even if one statistical site left him off its list of top-50 players. The Cardinals pass rusher likely will carry that as a chip on his shoulder into this season.
Jones, 29, hasn’t yet forgotten the Patriots traded him three years ago, though he understands it was a business decision.
“I feel like at any time I can be traded,” Jones said, via Kyle Odegard of the team website. “It might sound bizarre to say, but I’m someone who has been in that situation. I’ve been traded before and that little sense of rejection is a crappy feeling, honestly. That’s what drives me. That’s what motivates me. I never want to get traded again.”
Jones, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million extension in 2017, is on the move from defensive end to outside linebacker. The scheme, the position, nothing seems to faze Jones. He just continues to produce with four consecutive seasons of double-digit sacks.
“It’s not about getting double-digit sacks,” Jones said. “The big thing is just being consistent. Speaking from a coach’s perspective, you want a player that’s consistent. You want a player that you know what you’re going to get day in and day out, on and off the field. A lot of that gives credit to some of my numbers, and hopefully I can stay consistent.”