Benito Jones


Benito Jaquez Jones is an American professional football nose tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels, and previously played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions.

Professional career

Miami Dolphins (first stint)

After playing four years at Ole Miss, Jones was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent on April 25, 2020. He was waived during final roster cuts on September 5, and was signed to the practice squad two days later. He was elevated to the active roster on October 17, October 31, November 13, November 18, and November 24 for the team's Weeks 6, 8, 10, 11, and 12 games against the New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, and Jets, and reverted to the practice squad following each game without having to clear waivers. He was signed to the active roster on December 2. Johnson played in six games during his rookie season, logging one tackle.
On August 31, 2021, Jones was waived by the Dolphins and re-signed to the practice squad.
On April 19, 2022, Jones was re-signed by the Dolphins. He was waived by the Dolphins on August 30.

Detroit Lions

Jones was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Lions on August 31, 2022. He played in all 17 regular season games during the year, starting none of them. Johnson played in 27% of the Lions defensive snaps and recorded 1.5 sacks, 16 total tackles, and 2 pass deflections.
In the 2023 season, Jones again appeared in all 17 regular season games, and this time he started 15 of them. He logged 13 solo tackles, and one sack. Johnson's snap count jumped quite a bit, getting to play over 250 more snaps over the year prior. He played 52% of the Lions defensive snaps. Johnson also got his first playoff action, appearing in three of the Lions postseason games, logging one solo tackle.

Miami Dolphins (second stint)

On March 18, 2024, Jones signed with the Miami Dolphins. He played in all 17 games, starting 15, recording 24 tackles.
Jones re-signed with the Dolphins on March 20, 2025. He played in 14 games, recording 15 tackles, one sack, and a pass deflection. On December 27, Jones was placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a back injury.