DaQuan Jones. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The New England Patriots couldn’t get much going in the season opener vs. the Seattle Seahawks. The defending champions smothered them with their elite defense, even getting by without starting quarterback Sam Darnold. That’s why, given the team’s lack of depth on defense, it turned to a former divisional rival to bolster the trenches.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, they’ll sign former Buffalo Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones. The Patriots will sign DaQuan Jones “The Patriots are expected to sign veteran DT DaQuan Jones to a 1-year deal worth up to $6M, sources say. He gets $3.5M base,” Rapoport wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Some help up front before Week 2 from the former Bills starter.”
The #Patriots are expected to sign veteran DT DaQuan Jones to a 1-year deal worth up to $6M, sources say. He gets $3.5M base.
Some help up front before Week 2 from the former #Bills starter. pic.twitter.com/Ao1OkGrT0n
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 11, 2026
Jones is coming off a solid season with the AFC East rivals, logging 22 tackles, 21 pressures, one forced fumble, one pick and three sacks.
Notably, he’s not only familiar to the organization as a former rival, but also as one of Mike Vrabel’s former players.
The Patriots head coach had Jones by his side during his tenure with the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2020. While he’s unlikely to start over the likes of Christian Barmore, Milton Williams and Cory Durden, the veteran will most definitely be ahead of Leonard Taylor III and Joshua Darner in the pecking order as the first guy off the bench.
The Patriots only gave up 97 rushing yards in the season opener, but with the Seahawks averaging 4.4 yards per carry, finding more help in the trenches certainly makes sense ahead of Week 2.
Ernesto Cova
Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues
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