Several Lions mourn passing of former teammate Chris Payton-Jones
Former Detroit Lions cornerback Chris Payton-Jones died in a car crash Saturday night.
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 30: Detroit Lions cornerback Chris Jones (43) plays defense on Cleveland Browns wide receiver Damion Ratley (18) during preseason game action between the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions on August 30, 2018 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images According to several reports, former Detroit Lions cornerback Chris Payton-Jones died on Saturday night in a fatal car crash in Florida.
Payton-Jones first joined the Lions in 2018 after going undrafted following a four-year stint at Nebraska. Though Payton-Jones didn’t make the team that year, he returned to Detroit in 2020 after spending two seasons with the Cardinals. The Lions claimed him off of Arizona’s practice squad in September of 2020, and Payton-Jones played one game for the team that season.
Despite his short stints with the Lions, it’s clear he made an impact on several players in the locker room. On Sunday, many of his former teammates went to social media to mourn the loss of their friend. Former Lions safety Quandre Diggs posted, “RIH my dawg” on Instagram.
Amik Robertson, who overlapped with Payton-Jones with the Raiders in 2022, posted “Man wtf! ” on Instagram. Former Lions Kerryon Johnson, Tyrell Crosby, and Darius Slay also shared the news of his passing on social media.