Inside The Panthers

Commanders Sign Former Pitt OL Jaryd Jones-Smith

Another former Pitt Panther is getting his shot at the NFL.

Stephen Thompson

Commanders Sign Former Pitt OL Jaryd Jones-Smith
Commanders Sign Former Pitt OL Jaryd Jones-Smith /
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PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers offensive lineman Jaryd Jones-Smith has been out of the NFL for two years but that changed this week when the 2023 All-XFL selection signed with an NFL club. 

The Washington Commanders added Jones-Smith, signing him to a contract without releasing financial details. This is the sixth team he's spent time with since graduating from Pitt. 

Jones-Smith signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and bounced around between Miami, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Baltimore, appearing in six total games split evenly between the Ravens and Raiders. 

Jones arrived at Pitt as a three-star recruit by way of West Catholic High School in Philadelphia, a short drive from his hometown of Camden, New Jersey. He made 33 appearances and 13 starts over the course of his career, including nine his senior year, when he blocked for current Steelers starting quarterback Kenny Pickett in his coming out party - a 24-14 upset of then-No. 2 Miami in Pittsburgh. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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