Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. has announced that he will no longer play in the NFL due to family reasons. The Detroit Lions then released him.
Jones announced on Instagram that he would be “stepping aside” to “address a personal family matter.” The subsequent dismissal by the Lions was basically just a ceremonial move so as not to put any obstacles in the 33-year-old’s way.
“I just want to say that I have so much love and respect for the Ford family, the city of Detroit, my teammates and my coaches,” Jones wrote, continuing: “Long story short, I’m off the team for now “Leaving to attend to a personal family matter. While this was not an easy decision, at this time I cannot be the person/player I need to be for this team while also taking care of my family from a distance.”
He also expressed his appreciation to the Lions organization and emphasized that he would continue to keep his fingers crossed for the team.
NFL: Jones not there in Baltimore
Jones, who returned to his old place of work this season after two years in Jacksonville, where he was active from 2015 to 2020, played in six of the Lions’ previous seven games, but was not very productive. He only caught five passes for 35 yards.
Last Sunday he was no longer present during the 6:38 defeat in Baltimore. Head coach Dan Campbell then remained tight-lipped when asked about Jones’ status. He stated that it was “hard to say” how long Jones would be out. “It’s just all I can tell you because it’s a personal matter.”
Jones was originally a fifth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2012 draft and has had 547 receptions for 7,421 yards and 58 touchdowns in 151 games. Meanwhile, his best season came in 2017 for the Lions, when he caught 61 passes for 1,101 yards. It was his only 1,000-yard season in the NFL.