An undrafted Michigan State product who has carved out a journeyman NFL career as a rotational nose tackle across five franchises.
Naquan Jones went undrafted out of Michigan State in 2021 but has stuck in the league for years as a run-stopping interior lineman, most recently landing in Houston in a waiver claim during the 2025 season. His path has taken him through Tennessee, Arizona, Miami, the Chargers and now Houston.
Path to the league
Jones played defensive tackle at Michigan State, finishing his college career with 78 tackles, including 12.5 for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble. He went unselected in the 2021 NFL Draft and signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent.
Career highlights
Jones appeared in 13 games with five starts as a Titans rookie in 2021, recording 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He has since played for Tennessee, Arizona, Miami and the Los Angeles Chargers, building a career total of roughly 100 tackles and 6.5 sacks as a rotational nose tackle valued for eating up run-game space.
2025 season recap
Jones opened 2025 with the Chargers before Houston claimed him off waivers in December after injuries hit the Texans' interior line. He made his Texans debut in Week 15 against Arizona and played through the team's divisional-round playoff exit, recording 9 solo tackles and 5 assists in his 12 games that season.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Naquan Jones
- Pro Football Reference: Naquan Jones
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
8 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | chargers | 8 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | texans | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2025 Totals | 12 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | cardinals | 12 | 27 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 | titans | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | cardinals | 4 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2023 Totals | 12 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | titans | 11 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | titans | 13 | 29 | 18 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- Michigan State
- Hometown
- Evanston, IL, USA
- Age
- 28
- Status
- active
