USA Today: Cardinals’ Jones thanked Pats for not trading him ‘to a crappy team’
Aug 12, 2016, 6:00 AM | Updated: 2:34 pm
Arizona Cardinals' Chandler Jones runs with his helmet between drills during practice at the NFL football teams training camp Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Good news, Cardinals fans: People not on the Cardinals don’t think the Cardinals are crappy.
We learned as much Thursday when USA Today’s Tom Pelissero chatted with Arizona newcomer Chandler Jones, who was acquired by the Cardinals in a trade that shipped offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper and a second-round pick to the New England Patriots.
Jones tells the story of learning of his trade to the Cardinals. Upon hearing he was heading to the desert, the linebacker apparently called Patriots coach Bill Belichick the next day and thanked him.
For what, exactly?
“I didn’t get a chance to speak to him (the day of the trade) – he was on a flight or something,” Jones told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday. “But I called him the next day and said, ‘Hey, you could’ve traded me to any other team, so thank you for not trading me to a crappy team.’”
Jones said he actually used a more vulgar word than “crappy” – he was cleaning things up for print – but the message was the same.
Apparently, Belichick, who is usually a stone-faced, unemotional man, laughed at Jones’ appreciation.
