Former NFL wide receiver Jacoby Jones, a standout with the Texans and Ravens, dies at age 40

Former NFL wide receiver Jacoby Jones, a Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion with the Baltimore Ravens, died overnight on Saturday in his Houston-area home, according to multiple reports. Jones, who celebrated his birthday on July 11, had just turned 40. A cause of death is not immediately clear.

Jones played in the NFL for nine season, spending his first five with the Houston Texans before signing with the Ravens in 2012. Jones had a standout season in his first in Baltimore, being named First Team All-Pro and heading to the Pro Bowl on the way to winning Super Bowl XLVII.

Jones stayed with the Ravens through three seasons before finishing out his career with brief stints with the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. In September 2017, Jones signed a one-day contract with Baltimore so that he could officially retire as a Raven.

Some of Jones' former teammates paid tribute to Jones on social media, including wide receiver Torrey Smith, who played with Jones in Baltimore, and quarterback Matt Leinart, who overlapped with Jones for two seasons in Houston.

Current Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson also honored Jones in a post.

Ownership of the Beaumont Renegades, an indoor football league that hired Jones as its inaugural head coach in April, confirmed the former receiver's death on Sunday. Sam Gordon, the owner of the Renegades, called Jones "the most humble and kind person to anybody" in a phone interview with KPRC 2 Houston on Sunday morning.