The Patriots, of all teams, can’t afford patience with Jack Jones. He has to go.

If the charges against Jones are as cut-and-dried as presented by state police Friday, then Jones should be released immediately. No excuses.

This was not an unfortunate mistake by a responsible gun owner. Jones’s alleged transgressions were either reckless, stupid, or both. They were definitely dangerous.

The loaded weapons were unlicensed and unlawful, according to police. Jones also was charged with two counts of possession of a large-capacity feeding device. Massachusetts law may make the decision easy for the Patriots, as Jones could be facing mandatory jail time.

Jones is a talented player, someone the Patriots were counting on to play a significant role in the secondary this year, maybe even as a starting outside cornerback.

No matter. Jones is not someone the Patriots need representing their organization, if the charges are filed as presented.

Anyone who followed the Patriots back in 2013 should have had stomach-churning flashbacks when news of Jones’s arrest broke Friday night.

It happened on June 16, almost 10 years to the day of the worst episode in Patriots history, the arrest of Aaron Hernandez. Odin Lloyd was killed on June 17, 2013, and Hernandez was first questioned by police on the 18th. Jones’s arrest, like Hernandez’s, came right after the Patriots broke for summer vacation, during the quiet time in the NFL calendar.

To be clear, the 10 counts expected against Jones are not as serious as the Hernandez episode. Jones is not charged with hurting anyone. But the Patriots, of all organizations, can’t mess around when it comes to significant gun charges.

They also shouldn’t forget the tough lessons they learned in the Hernandez ordeal, when they consistently looked the other way with Hernandez’s shady behavior because of his immense talent.

Jones, like Hernandez, had first-round talent but fell to the Patriots in the fourth round of the draft because of off-field troubles.

A five-star college recruit, Jones was kicked off the Southern Cal team because he couldn’t maintain grades. He did 45 days of house arrest in junior college for commercial burglary of a Panda Express. He was suspended at Arizona State for fighting in practice. And Bill Belichick suspended Jones for two games at the end of last season for what Jones’s agent described as a miscommunication with Jones’s rehab process.

Now significant gun charges.

The NFL warns about the dangers of guns in the manual given to every player during training camp. The NFL’s policy tells players, “Gun laws are not only strict, but they also vary from state to state, so education and awareness are key. You should be aware that if you take a weapon from one place to another — for example, across state lines — a different set of laws may apply in the new place. … Remember, be careful and understand the risks — if you own a gun, own the responsibility.”

Jones’s legal jeopardy is his main concern, but he also potentially faces a minimum two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s gun policy, and potentially another punishment for violating the personal conduct policy, which outlines illegal possession of a gun as a violation.

But the Patriots shouldn’t wait for the NFL to determine any punishment. Jones needs to go.

It won’t be a fun decision for the team. Jones took starter reps at outside cornerback during practices this spring, opposite first-round pick Christian Gonzalez. The Patriots were counting on Jones to be a big part of their cornerback rotation in 2023 after a promising rookie season that featured two interceptions, including a pick-6 of Aaron Rodgers.

Instead, the Patriots will likely need to scramble. Releasing Jones potentially forces Jonathan Jones to the outside, bumps Myles Bryant into a more prominent slot role, and puts late-round rookies Ameer Speed and Isaiah Bolden one step closer to the field. It also would require Gonzalez to be a productive starter right away.

To be fair, not every troubled player turns out poorly. Cornerback J.C. Jackson wasn’t drafted because of an arrest in college, but he had three productive years for the Patriots and scored a big free agent contract.

Perhaps if these charges befell the starting quarterback, or a player with no previous off-field history, the Patriots could afford to be patient and stand by him.

Jones is not such a player. These charges, combined with his history and the team’s history with Hernandez, should not grant him the benefit of the doubt.

The Patriots hopefully are just being patient and letting the first step of the legal process play out. Once the charges become official, Jones has to go.

Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com.