Jonathan Jones in Advanced Talks to Leave CBS for The Athletic

NFL reporter Jonathan Jones is in advanced talks to leave CBS Sports for The Athletic, sources told Front Office Sports.

A deal has not been finalized, one source said. Spokespeople for CBS Sports and the New York Times, the parent company of The Athletic, declined to comment. Jones could not be reached for comment.

Jones joined CBS in 2019 after previously covering the NFL for Sports Illustrated and the Charlotte Observer. He had been a part of CBS’s NFL Today studio show for several years, but was not on the program last season as he continued to contribute writing for the network’s website and to the CBS HQ streaming platform. 

While Jones has been CBS’s lead NFL insider, he would have a different role if he joins The Athletic, one source said. His video and written NFL content would involve features reporting and behind-the-scenes coverage. 

Therefore, he would not be characterized as a direct replacement for Dianna Russini. Russini resigned from The Athletic in April after photographs of her and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at a swanky, adults-only resort in Arizona were published by the New York Post. Despite the appearances, Vrabel and Russini both said that their relationship was platonic. Vrabel later told reporters that the “personal and private matter” led to “some difficult conversations with people I care about,” and he ultimately skipped the third day of the NFL Draft to seek counseling.

Russini’s resignation came after the Times pledged to investigate the photos and her work at The Athletic. Last month, a Times spokesperson told FOS that the investigation was still “ongoing.”