Marc Hoover

Adam “Pacman” Jones has been all over Cincinnati media headlines. On January 3, 2017, local authorities arrested the troubled NFL player at the Millennium Hotel for pushing a security guard and then poking him in the eye. Jones also made racial comments towards a Cincinnati police officer. He then spit at a nurse while incarcerated at the Hamilton County Justice Center in Cincinnati.

Marc Hoover

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters announced he will not press charges against Jones for spitting at the nurse. He then said a grand jury had declined not to charge Jones. Some Cincinnatians claim Deters is showing favoritism because Jones is a Cincinnati Bengals player. Deters has denied this claim and said he doesn’t even know Jones. Deters referred to Jones’s acts as nothing but “drunken foolishness.”

Deters then claimed the victimized nurse tried to extort cash from Jones. The nurse, however, claims she never tried to get any compensation from Jones. She has since appeared on WLW 700 to defend herself. She only wanted Jones to face punishment for spitting on her. I have seen the video and cannot be sure he spit on her because a deputy blocks the view. But several deputies present saw Jones’s actions.

I am a fan of WLW 700 and especially enjoy listening to Bill Cunningham and Mo Egger, who does sports talk for the station. While listening to a Mo Egger program last week, he wondered why Jones remains on the Bengals roster while a player like Andrew Whitworth is shown the door. He said Jones must have something on the team. Although I am sure Egger’s comments were meant to be humorous, he asked a valid question.

According to the Cincy Jungle website, Jones is due $7.6 million in 2017 and then another $6.6 million in 2018. The Bengals could save more than $13 million if they unload him before the season starts. Again, why is Jones still here? Even without his extensive criminal background, he is on the downside of his career. He will turn 34 this year. And no one beats Father Time—even an aging cornerback like Jones. It’s unrealistic to expect Jones to cover players who are younger and faster.

Eventually, a younger teammate will take Jones’s roster spot. It’s difficult to imagine the Bengals paying $7.6 million to a guy who will likely be on the bench. Can Jones still play? I believe so. But is he worth $7.6 million? I don’t think so and neither does Egger nor any other guys that talk sports for a living.

Jones, is known for a 2007 shooting incident inside a Las Vegas strip club.  During the incident, Thomas
Urbanski, a bouncer at the club was shot and permanently paralyzed. Jones was ordered to pay more than $11 million for his role in the shooting incident. The Bengals are known for signing with legal woes.

My guess is that if the Bengals release Jones, his NFL career will end. And based on his criminal background, I won’t expect to see him on Fox or ESPN as a commentator. I don’t see many teams clamoring to snatch up an aging cornerback with a lengthy criminal record. But the Bengals may wait until after the draft to release Jones, but who knows what the club is planning. Whatever the plan, I can guarantee it won’t lead to a Super Bowl. Still, it’s strange that players Andrew Whitworth, Rex Burkhead and now Rey Maualuga have left the Bengals but Jones is still here. Maybe fans should call Jones “Teflon” instead of “Pacman.”

Marc is a grandparent and longtime resident of Clermont County. Visit his author page Life with Grandpa and his blog Wise Grandpa.