JJ Watt pens emotional note as former Texans WR Jacoby Jones dies at 40: "Gone far, far too soon"
Former Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers WR and return specialist Jacoby Jones died on Sunday. The cause of his death is not known at this moment.
The news of Jones' death was shared on X and social media on Sunday morning around 11 a.m. Many current and former players paid tribute to Jones, including former Houston Texans teammate JJ Watt.
Watt and Jones were teammates for one season in Houston in 2011, in Jones' final year in Houston.
"Jacoby was one of the most fun-loving teammates and people I’ve ever been around. Always dancing and laughing, with a permanent smile on his face. Gone far, far too soon. R.I.P Jacoby Jones," Watt tweeted on Sunday.
Former Baltimore Ravens teammate and fellow wide receiver Torrey Smith also showed gratitude to Jones. Smith and Jones were teammates from 2012-2014 and won Super Bowl XLVII together.
"My brother! I thank God for the memories and your impact on this world. You were 1 of 1 ! Your play on the field and jokes will live on forever! We have Momma Jones a Lil Coby’s back for life! This one hurt me man! We are going to miss you! Love you bro!" Smith tweeted.
Former NFL punter and now podcaster/ NFL radio personality Pat McAfee also paid his respects to Jones.
"Jacoby Jones was an absolute legend.. he was beloved by literally everybody he met and lit up every room/field he walked into/onto. Rest easy my brother.. we will miss your presence " McAfee tweeted.
Reliving Jacoby Jones' NFL career
Jacoby Jones was a third-round draft pick in the 2007 NFL Draft out of Lane College. He was drafted by the Houston Texans and played with the team until the 2011 season.
Jones then signed with the Baltimore Ravens, where he was most effective as a return specialist. In his first season with Baltimore in 2012, he set a career-high in kick return yards (1,167) while scoring two touchdowns. He also had a punt return in the same season.
In Super Bowl XLVII, Jones returned a kick for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers for an NFL record in a Super Bowl game, 108 yards.
Jones played nine seasons in the NFL and retired with nine return touchdowns. R.I.P. Jacoby Jones.