The Steelers decided not to exercise their option on linebacker Jarvis Jones’ contract for 2017, leaving Jones in line to be a free agent when the 2016 season comes to an end.
It likely wasn’t all that difficult for the Steelers to come to that conclusion. While Jones had some good moments while starting 15 games last season, he played fewer total snaps than both rookie Bud Dupree and longtime veteran James Harrison a year after missing nine games because of a wrist injury.
A strong 2016 season would change Jones’ NFL trajectory and his position coach believes that getting it will require him to tighten his focus. Joey Porter thinks Jones pays too much attention to what others say and think about him.
“I just try to be smart with him, like, ‘Hey man, just come in healthy and ready to go and you’ll have all the chances to answer the questions when the season starts,’” Porter said, via ESPN.com. “For him, he takes the challenge of what everybody thinks more than I think he should. I’m glad I didn’t play in this era. I didn’t come up in the social media era. I don’t have none of that stuff now. In this era, people care what they say. They make themselves too available.”
Jones knows that he needs to be more productive on the field, although he’ll first need to earn playing time this summer before he can get to that point on his to-do list. That should be enough work to keep his attention on the field rather than a screen, especially since it would lead to at least a few nicer comments the next time Jones logs in.
