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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones said in handwritten comments shared on social media Monday that he was involuntarily removed from his home and ultimately taken to a behavioral health center.
Jones said members of the Las Vegas Fire Department came to his door, put him in an ambulance “against my will” and injected him with an unknown substance. According to his report, they carried out a “judicial arrest” on behalf of the city police. He said he was first taken to Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas before being transferred to Seven Hills Hospital in Henderson, Nevada, where he said: “They tried to force me to take medication and Taking injections.”
Jones, a 33-year-old in his 12th NFL season and a sophomore with the Raiders, began his note with the words: “First day of play.” That suggestion that he had been released from the facility was later followed in the note by Jones, who said he was “stuck here.”
The former New England Patriot and Arizona Cardinal expressed uncertainty about who may have ordered his alleged removal and placement in a behavioral health center.
“All I know is that whoever brought me here had bad intentions,” he wrote.
Jones did not play in Las Vegas’ first two games this season and was then placed on the reserve/non-football illness list by the team, meaning he will be sidelined until at least Week 7. He was reportedly absent from the team recently before the start of the season, when he shared and deleted social media posts saying he no longer wanted to play for Raiders coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler.
Jones wrote Monday that he asked Ziegler “for help six or seven times” but received no response. He added that he was “just trying to figure out why I’m still not allowed in the building and why I have to continue to watch my brothers suffer every Sunday.”
A spokesman for the Raiders did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment and possible confirmation of Jones’ whereabouts. The team had previously described the situation as a “private matter” that would be handled internally.
A Las Vegas Fire and Rescue official cited the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act when he told The Washington Post via email that the city agency could not confirm the identity of a person for whom its employees “may be providing medical care have done it or not”.
Jones wrote that his brothers had to come to the facility to bring him clothes and “decent” meals, and that his father also visited him. Jones’ siblings include former NFL defenseman Arthur Jones and UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
A four-time Pro Bowl player, Jones moved to Las Vegas in March 2022 after agreeing to a three-year, $51 million contract with $32 million in guarantees. Last season, he recorded 4.5 sacks in 15 games, the lowest total of his career in a season in which he played at least 10 games.
“I am still confused about what I did wrong,” Jones wrote Monday. “I’m stuck here. I’m very sensible. … I’m too strong a person to be mentally broken.