Byron Jones Tweets About ‘Regrettable Cost’ of NFL Career
The Dolphins defensive back opened up about the toll that football-related injuries have taken over his years in the league.
Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones says that he is unable to “run or jump” due to injuries that he’s sustained in the NFL in a series of candid tweets on Saturday.
Jones, 30, missed all of the 2022 season after undergoing surgery last spring to repair an injured Achilles. According to ESPN, the 2015 first-round draft pick was expected to be ready for the start of the campaign but was never activated off the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list.
Taking to Twitter Saturday, Jones responded to a 2015 tweet from the NFL’s official account that lauded him for his broad jump performance at that year’s NFL scouting combine and reflected on how his situation has changed since coming into the league as a star defensive back out of UConn.
“Much has changed in 8 years,” Jones began. “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 stopped short of saying that he was retiring and a source told ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques that the veteran cornerback is not hanging up his cleats for good. However, Jones spoke honestly about how playing in the NFL has come with a “regrettable cost” that he believes isn’t worth any amount of “professional success or financial gain.”
“It was an honor and privilege to play in the NFL but it came at a regrettable cost I did not foresee,” Jones wrote. “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.”
After beginning his professional career in 2015 with the Cowboys, Jones signed a five-year, $82 million deal with the Dolphins ahead of the 2020 season. A 2018 Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro, Jones has two years remaining on his contract and will carry a cap hit of approximately $18.3 million in 2023, according to Over The Cap.