The New York Jets picked up Cam Jones off the NFL’s waiver wire this week, resulting in a third of the franchise’s linebackers being former Hoosiers.
The move reunited Jones with his former IU football teammate Marcelino McCrary-Ball, who was named a captain of the Jets this week.
Jones and McCrary-Ball were together in Bloomington for four seasons (2018-2021), and that’s not all they have in common. Both players have carved-out NFL careers despite being undrafted.
Jones (6-2, 227) enters his third season in the league after spending the last two years in Kansas City. He initially joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and has primarily contributed on special teams. He appeared in all 34 regular season games from 2023-24 as well as 4 postseason contests, including last season’s Super Bowl.
“Very productive player,” Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said of Jones in a release. “Looking forward to him getting with this linebacker crew and really making noise on special teams for us.”
Both Jones and McCrary-Ball are likely to be backups at linebacker and key contributors on special teams for the Jets.
An undrafted free agent who initially signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, the 6-0 and 214-pound McCrary-Ball had stints on the practice squad and the active roster with the Jets in 2023 and ’24. He became a special teams regular last season over 12 games, appearing in 200 snaps and recording 7 coverage tackles, tied for second-most on the Jets.
McCrary-Ball finished his Indiana career with 241 tackles, 166 solo, 5.5 sacks (43 yards), 16.5 for loss (74 yards), four interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, 17 pass breakups, and 10 quarterback hurries in 53 games (44 starts) at husky.
Jones played in 47 games for IU and produced 208 tackles including 13.5 for loss, seven sacks, two interceptions, 11 passes defensed, five forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
The Jets open the 2025 season on Sept. 7 in New York against Pittsburgh.
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