Datone Jones cited for marijuana after NFC title game

About seven hours after the Green Bay Packers' shocking loss in the NFC championship game, defensive end Datone Jones was ticketed for marijuana possession, according to Green Bay police.

Jones was cited at 12:29 a.m. Jan. 19, a couple of hours after the Packers' plane returned from Seattle. Last week, he was suspended for the team's 2015 opener in Chicago because of a violation of the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

Green Bay Police Lt. Chad Ramos said a woman called police to report a suspicious situation in the parking lot of an apartment complex off Capitol Drive on the city's west side. The woman said loud music was coming from a black Jeep occupied by a man and a woman, and said she saw money and a sandwich bag change hands.

Two officers approached the Jeep and noticed "the clear, distinct odor of marijuana," said Ramos, reading from a report. Ramos said Jones "became emotionally upset, and told officers he was the first-round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers" in 2013.

Jones was issued a citation for possession of THC. He was convicted Feb. 10 and paid an $880 fine. Jones has no prior convictions or citations in Wisconsin, according to online records.

The 32-year-old Green Bay woman who was with Jones was ticketed on three ordinance violations: resisting or obstructing an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of THC. Court records show she was found guilty of all three charges and fined $1,443. The fine remained unpaid as of Monday.

Jones can participate in the Packers' preseason, but he's ineligible for the team's Sept. 13 opener against the Chicago Bears. He can return to the active roster Sept. 14. After being drafted with the 26th overall pick in 2013, Jones has fallen short of expectations for a first-round pick. Entering a prove-it third year, a suspension in the opener is not an ideal way to start the 2015 season.

For the Packers, Jones' suspension continued a tumultuous offseason.

Two days after Jones' punishment was announced, Packers tight end Andrew Quarless was arrested in Miami Beach, Fla. Quarless was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for discharging a firearm in public during an argument early Saturday morning.

In February, defensive tackle Letroy Guion was arrested in his hometown of Starke, Fla., and charged with two felony counts for possession of a semi-automatic handgun and two bags of marijuana containing a total of 357 grams. Guion likely also faces a suspension, but there has been no announcement from the league office.