Ex-NFL, UFL cornerback Chris-Payton Jones dies in crash

Field Level Media|published: Mon 13th April, 11:48 2026

Feb 23, 2023; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Sea Dragons cornerback Chris Payton-Jones (5) breqks up a pass intended for St. Louis Battlehawks wide receiver Gary Jennings (12) during the second half at Lumen Field. St. Louis defeated Seattle 20-18. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Former NFL and UFL cornerback Chris Payton-Jones died in a car accident Saturday night in Alachua County, Fla. He was 30.

Payton-Jones was driving a sedan eastbound in the westbound lanes of State Road 24 in Gainesville when it collided head-on with a pickup truck, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol, News 4 Jacksonville said. The three people in the truck sustained only minor injuries.

The sedan overturned and burst into flames. Payton-Jones was pronounced dead at the scene, per New 4 Jacksonville.

Payton-Jones, a native of the Jacksonville area, was known as Chris Jones when he played college football at Nebraska from 2014-17. Unselected in the 2018 NFL Draft, he went on to appear in 29 regular-season games with the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans from 2018-21.

He later moved on to the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL in 2023, and spent the past two seasons with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL.

"Chris was a beloved teammate and leader in the locker room, who demonstrated the importance of hard work, determination, and resilience throughout his career," the UFL said in a statement. "As importantly, Chris was always a bright soul who everyone throughout the league enjoyed spending time with off-the-field."

Payton-Jones retired in January and made his side business of content creation a full-time job. His video content, primarily sports-related, has more than 1 million views on his YouTube site, Flashflix.

--Field Level Media