In order to attend to personal family problems, wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. of the Detroit Lions stated on Tuesday that he was “stepping away from the team.”
The 33-year-old announced the news on social media shortly after the Lions announced his release. The reason behind Jones’s departure was not disclosed by either the team or Jones himself.
“I can’t be the player/person I need to be for this team and take care of my family from a distance, even though this was not an easy decision to make,” Jones wrote. He gave the Lions gratitude for their “amazing” support and love for him and his family throughout the years.
He went on, “For that, I am grateful.”
After playing with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the previous two seasons, Jones was in his first season back with the Lions. The Cincinnati Bengals selected him in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, and he played for them for four years before joining Detroit in 2016. In March of this year, he returned to the Lions on a rumored one-year contract worth $3 million, with an additional $2 million in incentives. He had previously signed with the Jaguars during the 2021 free agency period.
Jones, a Southern California native who played collegiately at Cal, stated in April that he chose to return to the Lions because “this was my home for five years.” “I asked my family, ‘What would you think if Daddy went back to Detroit?’ The only team outside of the West Coast that I would play for was Detroit. I was sensual all the time. Compared to other teams I was thinking about, this one is more equipped.
At the Browns-Colts game, a baby was born with relatives in the seats and on the field.
Following a lackluster performance in the first six games of the Lions’ 5-2 campaign, in which he caught five passes for 35 yards, Jones was declared inactive and did not travel with the team.
Travel to Baltimore in Week 7. Detroit declared him out of the contest, citing a “personal matter — not injury related” explanation.