The New England Patriots are at risk of losing a two-time Super Bowl champion when free agency begins next week.

The Patriots elected not to use the franchise tag on any player, including Jones, which is not surprising since it would have cost $18.1 million or $15.8 million for the transition tag.

The Patriots have interest in bringing Jones back, however, but he’s expected to test free agency, a source told NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

The #Patriots won't franchise tag standout CB Jonathan Jones, source said. He'll hit the market, though New England has interest in bringing him back.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 7, 2023

Jones will have “a number of suitors,” league sources told NFL Media’s Mike Giardi. For the first time in his NFL career Jones primarily played outside cornerback last season, but most teams still view him as a slot corner, per Giardi.

Per league sources, the expectations are that there will be a number of suitors for #Patriots cornerback Jon Jones. He's still viewed by most team I talked to as a slot CB, but his performance as an outside CB this year only served to heighten awareness about his talent.

— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) March 7, 2023

Jones joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and made three consecutive Super Bowls, winning two, to kick off his career. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound cornerback could be a fit for the Las Vegas Raiders or Minnesota Vikings since they run similar-style defenses to the Patriots.

The Raiders’ defensive coordinator is former Patriots assistant Patrick Graham, while the Minnesota Vikings’ defense is led by coordinator Brian Flores, a former play-caller in New England.

Jones, 29, played the majority of his snaps in the slot from 2016 to 2021, but he was moved outside last season due to a lack of depth at the position in New England. The Patriots currently have cornerbacks Jack Jones, Marcus Jones, Jalen Mills and Shaun Wade under contract and Quandre Mosely and Rodney Randle signed to future deals. If New England doesn't bring Jones back, cornerback becomes a major need for the Patriots.

Jones allowed 46 catches on 86 targets for 543 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions in 2022 despite difficult matchups against wide receivers from the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders.

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