The winner will be revealed as part of NFL Honors before Super Bowl LIX.
The 32 nominees for the 2024 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award have been unveiled.
Jonathan Jones finds himself among them, the NFL announced Monday.
The New England Patriots put forth the veteran defensive back for the 11th annual honor, which was created in the name of the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
The Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award recognizes those around the league who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field and best demonstrate the qualities of fair play, respect for the game and opponents and integrity in competition.
Jones, 31, has appeared in 127 games during his regular seasons in Foxborough since arriving as an undrafted free agent in 2016. The Auburn product, whose run with the organization has included Super Bowl LI and LIII rings, has started at cornerback, nickelback and safety on the way to holding the longest tenure on the defensive side of the ball.
Across 4,757 snaps in the secondary and 1,405 snaps on special teams, Jones stands with 421 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 56 passes defensed and 11 interceptions in his career. He has also had a hand in nine forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one return touchdown.
A leader, competitor & role model.
Congratulations to @justjjones, our 2024 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award nominee! pic.twitter.com/VmbJiR00NL
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 25, 2024
“Look, Jon Jones is one of our best leaders in that locker room,” Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said on WEEI last week. “I know he’s not a captain, but he is in my eyes.”
A panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community will select eight finalists, splitting the list between four from the AFC and four from the NFC. Those eight names will be listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when active players cast their votes in December.
With the same process as Pro Bowl voting, teams cannot vote for their own player, leaving a consensus vote to determine the 2024 winner, who will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of their choice. The announcement will be made during NFL Honors leading up to Super Bowl LIX.
Previous recipients of the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award include Larry Fitzgerald in 2014, Charles Woodson in 2015, Frank Gore in 2016, Luke Kuechly in 2017, Drew Brees in 2018, Adrian Peterson in 2019, Teddy Bridgewater in 2020, Matthew Slater in 2021, Calais Campbell in 2022 and Bobby Wagner in 2023.
The Patriots nominated center, captain and franchise All-Decade selection David Andrews last fall.