The New England Patriots under Bill Belichick have long made a habit of releasing or trading players they no longer deem valuable enough to retain — usually either for financial, age, or injury-related reasons.
It’s not that these players are no longer viewed as reliable or productive contributors — it’s just that Belichick determines “the juice is no longer worth the squeeze” with each of them for whatever reason.
Notable examples from the past include Mike Vrabel, Richard Seymour, Lawyer Milloy, Wes Welker, and — many might argue — Tom Brady.
Chandler Jones certainly falls under this category of player as well.