Panthers Sign Quarterback Josh Jones

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Bay Area Panthers

Panthers Sign Quarterback Josh Jones

October 1, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Bay Area Panthers News Release


Following a breakout rookie season, including winning the Indoor Football League's Offensive Rookie of the Year award after throwing for the third most yards (2,912) and touchdowns (56) in the league while playing for the Northern Arizona Wranglers, quarterback Josh Jones has signed with the Bay Area Panthers.

"My conversations with Coach (Rob) Keefe were very encouraging as he described his vision for the organization," said Jones. "We're in agreement with what we saw and what we want. I'm confident in the coaching staff's ability to put together a good team that is going to make a run at the championship."

Keefe feels Jones brings a combination of skills that can help the franchise.

"Josh is a gifted quarterback, who sees the field extremely well, and his arm talent jumps off the tape immediately," said Panthers Head Coach Rob Keefe.

Jones started for five seasons at UNC Pembroke, four of those as team captain. He threw for over 10,000 yards and 70 touchdowns for the Braves, leaving as the school's all-time leading passer. During his college career, Jones earned a spot on the All-Mountain East Team three times.

Following the Football Championship (FCS) Bowl, Jones had a pro day for all 32 NFL teams and eventually signed with Winnipeg of the Canadian Football League. When his stint with the Blue Bombers ended, Jones kept his playing options open and took a coaching job at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Skyhawks Head Coach Johnny Cox was Jones' offensive coordinator at UNC Pembroke and kept Jones in the game by coaching running backs. He also stayed connected to his younger brother, Sam, who is a quarterback at Fort Lewis.

In October 2023, while coaching at Fort Lewis, Jones received a call from the then Northern Arizona Head Coach Les Moss with an opportunity to play for the Wranglers.

"Coming out of a small school and spending some time in Canada, when you come to the IFL, you want to prove you can play with guys who were in the SEC and all the big conferences," said Jones. "Once you do that a couple of times, you start to gain confidence. After the first couple games, I felt really good and that I could do some damage in the league."

Jones was not named the starter until before the first game while adjusting to the nuances of the indoor game.

"At first, it was tough because everything happens much more quickly," said Jones. "The timing on certain throws and the ball trajectory with tight windows were parts of the learning curve."

It started to click for Jones in the second game against Tucson. He connected on 19 of 27 throws for 212 yards and five touchdowns. His final scoring pass with 11 seconds left gave the Wranglers a 54-48 win.

The performance was a coming-out party for Jones, who was named the Offensive Player of the Week twice and ended the year as the franchise's all-time leading passer.

After both Moss and Offensive Coordinator Rod Windsor left NAZ for the Panthers, heading to California made sense for Jones.

"Being in the same offensive system is huge. Knowing what Coach Windsor likes to do in certain situations and not having to learn a whole new playbook is going to be a plus," said Jones. "We're going to continue to work on it, learn the ins and outs, and get better. Not having to start from scratch is a big help in knowing what to expect."

In two high-level games against Northern Arizona, Keefe saw firsthand what a quarterback of Jones' caliber brings to the table.

"He's an accurate passer who can make every throw and is fearless in the run game. We are looking forward to having him apply his football intelligence and leadership skills on the field and in the locker room with us," said Keefe.

In joining the Panthers, Jones expects to win. That's always been a priority for him at every level.

"That was the main reason why I wanted to sign with the Panthers. When we played them last year, their defense gave us fits. They were the one defense in the league that made us really work for it," said Jones.

Ultimately, his former team came up short of the playoffs, and Jones has his eye on the ultimate prize. He is inspired by the fact that Keefe, Moss, and Windsor captured the IFL title together with Northern Arizona in 2022, completing a turnaround from one win the prior season.

"I know what happened the last time they were together. We can do that again," said Jones.

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