Pacman Jones reinstated by NFL, is back on his own

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Twice-suspended cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones will be on his own in his return to the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys.

This time, there will be no team-employed bodyguards to accompany Jones and try to keep him out of trouble.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Wednesday that the cornerback, who completed the inpatient portion of his NFL-ordered alcohol treatment in the Boston area, was being reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and should be eligible to play again after missing two more games.

Jerry Jones also said he isn't bringing back the security detail -- leaving it up to Adam Jones to make decisions on his own.

"You can draw your own conclusion, but the answer is absolutely," Jones said.

Worrick Robinson, Adam Jones' Nashville-based attorney, said the player understands it's up to him to avoid any more trouble.

"It all starts with him and his decision-making," Robinson said. "He's comfortable making decisions for himself."

Jerry Jones expects Adam Jones to return to practice with the team by Monday and play Dec. 7 at Pittsburgh "if everything goes like it should." Adam Jones won't play Sunday against San Francisco or next week on Thanksgiving against Seattle.

Despite Jerry Jones' announcement of the reinstatement, there was no confirmation from the NFL on Wednesday.

"When there is a final determination, we will announce it," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an e-mail.

Adam Jones was suspended for the entire 2007 season because of multiple incidents while with the Tennessee Titans. In the offseason, he was traded to Dallas and given another chance by Goodell.

The Cowboys gave him a security team to help keep him in line, but on Oct. 7, Jones got into an alcohol-related scuffle with one of the bodyguards during a private party at an upscale Dallas hotel.

"I am going to try something different," Jerry Jones said.

Goodell suspended him indefinitely a week later, saying he'd put a timeframe on it after the cornerback missed at least four games. By the time Jones returns, assuming he's back for the Pittsburgh game, it will be a six-game suspension -- meaning he'll have missed 22 of 28 games since the end of the 2006 season because of suspensions.

"He much appreciates the Cowboys and Jerry Jones for standing behind him and encouraging him, and he's grateful to the commissioner," Robinson said.

Jerry Jones and Robinson would not reveal any conditions the commissioner may have imposed.

"He knows what he has to do," Robinson said. "It's very clear."

Robinson said the cornerback has been using this week to take care of personal issues and establish an outpatient relationship in the Dallas area as he continues the program he began in Boston. Robinson said it was in Jones' best interest to go into rehabilitation.

"His intent is to stay involved with that," Robinson said. "He has been hoping and praying he would have the opportunity to get back on the field. I know he's excited to get back."

Earlier in the day, before Jerry Jones broke the news, Cowboys teammates said they would welcome Adam Jones back.

"When he was here, he worked very hard and he helped us," quarterback Tony Romo said. "He's a good football player and I don't see why you wouldn't welcome a guy back that works hard on the practice field."

Tank Johnson, who has the locker next to Jones and also has been through an NFL suspension for off-field troubles, said he's spoken frequently with the cornerback.

"He's just chomping at the bit to get back and come back and be successful," Johnson said. "He knows we're all with him and we're never going to turn our back on him and as soon as he gets back it will be business as usual. I can't wait to have 21 next to me in the locker."

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