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DALLAS -- Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones placed his status with the NFL in jeopardy by getting involved in an altercation early Wednesday morning at a Dallas hotel.
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According to Dallas police, Jones hit his bodyguard, Tommy Jones, at the Joule Hotel. The bodyguard, police said, declined to press charges, and no official report was filed.
Deputy Chief Vince Golbeck, commander of the central patrol division, said officers were called to the Joule about 1:30 a.m. and were told there was a disturbance between Adam Jones and one of his security officers. Golbeck said officers believed Adam Jones was drinking and that he may have stayed at the hotel. Sources close to Jones dispute the report.
Adam Jones was not available for comment. Calls to Tommy Jones were not returned.
"I have talked to him," said Worrick Robinson, Adam Jones' Nashville, Tenn.-based attorney. "I think it's just better that I don't have any comments."
Adam Jones returned to the NFL in August when he was fully reinstated after serving a one-year suspension for violations of the league conduct policy. When he was allowed to fully re-enter the league on Aug. 28, he was told any further problems could result in a lifetime ban.
NFL officials declined comment, and the Cowboys were unaware of the incident. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had made a scheduled visit to Valley Ranch on Wednesday, and before the trip, he told San Antonio reporters he planned to see Jones. It's not known if Goodell knew about the incident before meeting with team officials.
Cowboys officials knew they were taking a risk in making a draft-day deal for Jones with the Tennessee Titans. Since he was drafted in 2005, he has been arrested six times and involved in 12 incidents requiring police intervention.
The Cowboys would give the Titans a sixth-round pick in next year's draft provided Jones doesn't get into any trouble during the season. But if the league finds that Jones violated the conduct policy and suspends him, the Cowboys would get the pick back.
But the pick seems insignificant at this stage for a troubled player with a near zero tolerance policy.
"He knows there are a lot of people who are interested in how this turns out," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said before the start of the season. "There are skeptics."
Should Adam Jones get suspended again, he would not be the first player who lost his status after returning to the field.
Linebacker Odell Thurman was suspended for two seasons for violations of the league's substance abuse and conduct policies. He was reinstated this spring but was released by Cincinnati after he failed to report to a minicamp. Thurman was banned by the NFL indefinitely for more violations to the conduct policy.
Adam Jones is nearing that status if the league deems he failed to act properly.
It's not the first time that Jones has been at the Joule. He attended the grand opening of the hotel and hosted a private birthday party there almost two weeks ago that was attended by several of his teammates.
According to sources, Adam Jones was having dinner with his girlfriend and two bodyguards Tuesday night. When one guard left for the evening, Jones hung out with several people, including rapper Ludacris.
Dallas police said it's unclear where the incident in the hotel took place involving Adam Jones and his bodyguard.
The Cowboys are depending on Adam Jones, especially with the recent injuries to Pro Bowl cornerback Terence Newman. Jones has started every game and leads the team with 11 passes defended.