Getty Former Dallas Cowboys corner Byron Jones reacts after an NFL play.
A former first-round pick and Pro Bowler of the Dallas Cowboys made waves in the NFL world on February 25 with a blunt announcement of his current physical state.
An unfortunate reality of professional football is the brutal toll that the athletes take physically, and former Cowboys corner Byron Jones is the latest to make that abundantly clear. A first-round pick by Dallas in 2015, Jones played seven seasons in the league.
While currently still with the Miami Dolphins, Jones announced that he can no longer “run or jump” and that his current physical state is a “regrettable” cost for getting to play in the NFL.
“Much has changed in 8 years. Today I can’t run or jump because of my injuries sustained playing this game. DO NOT take the pills they give you. DO NOT take the injections they give you. If you absolutely must, consult an outside doctor to learn the long-term implications,” Jones wrote in a Tweet. “It was an honor and privilege to play in the NFL but it came at a regrettable cost I did not foresee. In my opinion, no amount of professional success or financial gain is worth avoidable chronic pain and disabilities. Godspeed to the draft class of 2023.”
It was an honor and privilege to play in the NFL but it came at a regrettable cost I did not foresee. In my opinion, no amount of professional success or financial gain is worth avoidable chronic pain and disabilities. Godspeed to the draft class of 2023.
Jones’ message is a real and sobering one, but it is important to note that the former Cowboys corner is not technically retiring, despite the posts detailing his current condition.
Jones Isn’t Retiring
When the former Connecticut star left the Cowboys for the Dolphins in free agency in 2020, the now 30-year-old landed a five-year, $82.5 million that runs through the 2024 season. So while Jones may be unable to play anymore, he’s still got a high-paying NFL contract.
Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reported that Jones is definitely not retiring immediately. Instead, he will likely hold through a June-1 cut designation to recoup some money on his way out.
“In wake of today’s tweets… Byron Jones is not retiring and there’s no pending lawsuit, per source. With his 14.4 M salary non guaranteed, the general expectation is he will be cut by Dolphins with post June 1 designation. But nothing has been settled on that front,” Jackson posted.
As PFT’s Mike Florio covered, retiring could mean that Jones would have to pay back his signing bonus of $4.2 million. By waiting, he at least gets to keep that money handed to him back in 2020.
Jones Was a Pillar of Cowboys’ Defense
For the five years that Jones played with Dallas, the former first-round pick missed one game, coming in his final season with the Cowboys in 2019.
That included a transition from safety to corner, which the former Husky made during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. That switch to CB led to his first and only Pro Bowl nod in 2018, which saw Jones make 14 passes defended and 56 solo tackles according to Pro Football Reference.
Jones was never an interception machine, totaling just four picks over his seven-year career, but he did force five fumbles and all 11 of his tackles for loss occurred while playing for Dallas.