Forgotten Buffalo Bills: Cardale Jones

In this new series, we talk about some Buffalo Bills players you may have forgotten about. First up in this series, former QB Cardale Jones!

College

Cardale Jones didn’t have the best collegiate career. After not seeing many snaps his freshman season, Jones didn’t see his first start until the 2014 Big Ten Championship game, replacing JT Barrett. Jones finished the season with two starts.

Jones was named the starting QB for Week 1 of 2015, his best season. That lasted only the first seven games before being replaced by Barrett for the remainder of the season. He totaled 1,460 passing yards, eight TDs, and five INTs. He also totaled 193 rushing yards and two TDs. During the NFL Combine, Jones hurt his hamstring on the second 40-yard dash. The Buffalo Bills drafted Cardale Jones in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

NFL tenure

Jones was inactive as the third QB for the first 15 weeks behind Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel. He got playing time in the second half of their season finale against the New York Jets. Jones went 6/11 for 96 yards, zero TDs, and one INT. Jones’ tenure with Buffalo was short lived, as he was traded to the LA Chargers in exchange for a conditional draft pick in 2017.

Bills are getting a conditional 7th-round draft pick from Chargers in return for QB Cardale Jones, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 26, 2017

Jones spent the entire 2018 season on the Chargers practice squad, before being released in 2019 during final cuts. The Seahawks then signed Jones to their practice squad, which lasted for 11 days.

XFL

Jones then went to the XFL 2.0. He landed with the DC Defenders, where he competed with Tyree Jackson for the starting job for most of the 2020 season. In his first game, Jones totaled 291 yards and two TDs, while also leading the team in rushing. His contract was terminated by the league when they suspended operations.

Other Leagues

Then, in May 2022, Jones signed with the Edmonton Elks of the CFL. This lasted 14 days before he was released.

He later signed with the Massachusetts Pirates of the IFL, which lasted four months before he was cut for refusing to report to the team. The Pirates said in a statement that Jones was offered a job with the Big Ten Network and went in another direction.

That spelled the end of Cardale Jones’ professional football career. In eight years with four different leagues, he threw four total touchdowns (all in in the XFL).

Featured Image: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports