The Indoor Football League made what it thought was a splash signing in December when the Massachusetts Pirates signed former Ohio State football national champion quarterback Cardale Jones. The league and the team were so excited they even used the quarterback in promotional material.
Unfortunately, the artist formerly known as 12 Gauge has been listed with the refused-to-report designation on the IFL transaction website.
Rumors are circulating that Jones passed on the opportunity to play professional football again due to an offer from the Big Ten Network or another media outlet. If true, Jones will be a great addition to any sports coverage team, but it would have been nice to see him tossing the football one more time.
Buckeyes Wire did reach out to the Massachusetts Pirates via text and was told that Jones said he was “offered a job with the Big Ten Network and decided to go in that direction,” but we’ll just have to wait and see where he lands.
Jones had an interesting pro career that most recently included a stint with the Edmonton Elks of the CFL. Before that he was one of the headliners in the XFL 2.0 as the gunslinger for the DC Defenders. His NFL career started when he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills and he had cups of coffee with the Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks.
Buckeye fans looking to tune into the IFL can still watch former Ohio State safety Brendon White, a Buckeye legacy who also signed with the Massachusetts Pirates. White was at Ohio State from 2017 until 2019 before he transferred to Rutgers. White’s father was another Buckeye safety, William White, who was a star for Ohio State in the 1980s.
Massachusetts Pirates quarterback Cardale Jones has Refused to Report. pic.twitter.com/I4plqAXCvW
— The Indoor Football League Network (@TheIFLNetwork) March 17, 2023
As we hear anything else about Jones’ future, we’ll bring it to you.
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