The Pittsburgh Steelers signed offensive tackle Jarron Jones as a street free agent in April of last year after he participated in the XFL, which ended up folding. A former defensive lineman who flipped to the other side of the ball, he spent most of the 2020 season on Pittsburgh’s practice squad, though he finished on the Practice Squad/Reserve List.
They signed his younger brother, outside linebacker Jamir Jones, nearly a year later in April of this year, after watching him work out at Notre Dame’s Pro Day, where his older brother is also an alum. The two were both on the 90-man roster until Pittsburgh released Jarron on the eve of training camp, on July 20.
“It’s unfortunate what he’s having to go through right now, but he’s always supportive of me, and I’m always supportive of him”, Jamir, who successfully made the 53-man roster as a fourth outside linebacker, told reporters on Wednesday, when he was asked about what he was able to take away from his own brother’s experience in the organization.
It does require some contextualization to understand exactly what Jarron Jones is ‘going through’. He is accused of, on multiple occasions last season, physically assaulting his partner, which led to her going to the hospital and to his arrest.
He had three charges dropped during a hearing in June 27, but was re-arrested for a prior incident in September. According to the police report, he broke his partner’s nose following an altercation that had already been preceded by a visit from the police. He dropped her off at the hospital after that and then headed to the team hotel as the Steelers prepared to play the Denver Broncos.
Those are very serious charges, but the team kept him on the practice squad throughout all of this, and re-signed him to a Reserve/Future contract after the season, before finally waiving him just months ago, replacing him with veteran Chaz Green, who made the practice squad.
I would imagine he still has legal proceedings to sort out. But either way, he is still Jamir’s older brother, who has always been his older brother and something of a role model, a relationship that does not die in spite of the situation he has put himself in.
“We have that good relationship where we feed off of one another”, Jamir said of Jarron. “Being four years apart and me growing up and him being the oldest in the household for most of the time I was a child, it’s just a great relationship that we have”.
“Coming up together, I’ve been able to follow his footsteps through Notre Dame, Aquinas, and now here, which is crazy”, he added. “I just think that everything happens for a reason. I can’t wait for him to make his return; I’m excited”.
Jamir has already taken it further than his older brother has simply by making the roster, and it does appear likely that he is going to stick, given that they only have four outside linebackers. As for Jarron, it’s questionable as to whether or not he will ever get another opportunity in the NFL, but the Steelers did at least like him enough to carry him on the practice squad nearly all of last season.
