March 14, 2026, 2:39 a.m. ET

Another Washington Commanders free agent has departed. And this time, he isn’t going very far. Veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones agrees to terms with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year contract on Thursday.

Jones, who turns 33 in September, spent the first nine seasons of his NFL career with the New England Patriots before signing with the Commanders last March. He appeared in 12 games for Washington, making seven starts and he recorded 41 tackles, including one for loss, and five passes defensed. Jones injured his hamstring in a Week 2 loss at Green Bay and spent some time on injured reserve.

Jones joins Washington’s division rival, which also signed Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen to a one-year deal. The Eagles already have one of the NFL’s most impressive young cornerback duos in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, but have struggled to find a consistent third cornerback. Woolen has immense upside due to his size and speed, but the Seahawks were eager to part with him.

Meanwhile, Jones is consistent and reliable. Despite being older and undersized (5-foot-9, 185 pounds), Jones played well for the Commanders last season and was a candidate to return. However, in GM Adam Peters’ quest to get younger and faster, Washington signed former Lions cornerback Amik Robertson to a two-year deal, effectively replacing Jones.

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