The start of the 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and as the LA Chargers are gearing up to make the playoffs for the second-consecutive season, the rivaled Las Vegas Raiders are already imploding.
Drama has followed the Raiders at every turn in recent years. The 2023 season has not even started yet and the drama is already starting for the Raiders, with Chandler Jones being at the center of it.
The former All-Pro edge rusher went on a social media tirade as he was unable to get into the Raiders' facility to work out. It went deeper than that, though, as Jones was very obviously frustrated with his head coach and general manager for things that seemed deeper than just not being able to work out.
Chandler Jones going off on his IGS about not being able to get into the Raiders' gym pic.twitter.com/As0hbV2hUc
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 5, 2023
There were more explicit posts (all of which have since been deleted) on Chandler's Instagram story that painted an even uglier picture of the Raiders. Jones posted that the team made direct contact with his ex-girlfriend, whom he has not been with for five years (pre-dating his time with the Raiders). In another post, Jones claimed that he didn't want to play for the Raiders if "that is (his) head coach or GM".
Raiders dysfunction with Chandler Jones is great entertainment for Chargers fans
The Raiders have arguably been the Chargers' biggest rivals in recent years and there is no doubt that Chargers fans are welcoming this kind of dysfunction from the Raiders. The more drama and dysfunction that Vegas has the less likely it is that they will pose any sort of threat to the Bolts.
The Chargers may already be benefitting from Chris Jones' contract holdout as he may not be suiting up for the Kansas City Chiefs the first time the two teams play. Now, it looks like there is a real chance that the Raiders' pass-rushing Jones might not end up playing in Week 4 when the Chargers host the Raiders.
That would be a huge hit for a Las Vegas defense that is not very good heading into the 2023 season. The one thing the Raiders have going for them on defense is the pass rush off the edge. Outside of that, the Raiders have a pretty vulnerable defense that Justin Herbert should be able to pick apart.
If Jones is not playing then those vulnerabilities only grow larger. And while nothing has been made official, Chandler Jones doesn't seem like someone who will be playing for the Raiders in Week 4.