24 Adam Jones CB

Jones has officially been suspended for the first game of the regular season, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Jones and the team have been aware of the suspension since June, so this is more of a formality. The punishment is the result of the veteran pleading guilty to obstruction of official business following a January arrest. Bengals' owner Mike Brown gave him a public show of support, so do not expect his absence from the season opener to impact his projected starting status.

Jones has been suspended for one game for violating the league's personal conduct policy, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Jones' punishment comes after he pleaded guilty to obstruction of official business following a January arrest stemming from a confrontation outside a Cincinnati hotel. In the wake of that ugly run-in -- which was notably made public through the release of police video -- Jones received a public show of support from Bengals owner Mike Brown, so his latest suspension isn't anticipated to threaten his future with the team. Nonetheless, his expected absence from the season opener will leave Cincinnati without its top cornerback and kick returner for a divisional clash against the Ravens.

Jones pleaded guilty to obstructing official business in court Tuesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

Jones was arrested in the beginning of January. He'll likely receive some sort of discipline from the league, but it remains to be seen whether or not it will severely jeopardize his availability this season.

Jones received a show of support from owner Mike Brown at least week's owners' meetings, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "I'm going to give him a chance," Brown said, regarding Jones' incident from January. "I hope it comes out right for him, for his family and for us."

A felony charge from the incident has been dropped, but Jones still faces existing misdemeanor charges for assault, disorderly conduct, and obstructing official business. Brown's comments indicate that Jones will remain with the Bengals, no matter how the legal process plays out and if the league office opts to levy any subsequent punishment. The latter is a distinct possibility, "even if the conduct does not result in a criminal conviction," per Dehner Jr. Nevertheless, Jones is penciled in as one of the Bengals' starting cornerbacks and their top returner as the offseason continues.

Although a felony charge against Jones for an early-January incident in Cincinnati has been dropped, he still faces three misdemeanor charges, NFL.com reports.

Among the existing charges are misdemeanors for assault, disorderly conduct, and obstructing official business. Due to his history of brushes with the law, the Bengals are likely bracing for a suspension once the justice system makes a decision. While the team has yet to comment on the matter, the NFL stated that a review "continues under the personal conduct policy, which states that a player may still be subject to potential discipline even if the conduct does not result in a criminal conviction," according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer.