The Detroit Lions made a surprising announcement ahead of last week’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. The team added Marvin Jones Jr. to its injury report, but it wasn’t injury-related. Jones did not travel with the team to Baltimore due to personal reasons, and the Lions understandably didn’t offer much more.
On Tuesday, Jones announced on social media that he would be stepping away from his team to tend to personal family matters.
“I just want to say that I have so much love and respect for the Ford Family, the city of Detroit, my teammates and coaches,” Jones wrote in an Instagram post. “To be brief I am stepping away from the team to take care of personal family matters. Although this was no easy decision, I cannot be the person/player that I need to be for this team as well as tend to my family from afar. This organization has been amazing showing love and support for myself and my family over the years and this time is no different. For that I am appreciative. To my brothers and coaches, I will be rooting for you every step of the way! This is the year! Go get it!!!
“Love and respect to ALL!”
The Lions later announced that they would be releasing Jones.
It’s unclear whether this is the end of the road for him.
After spending the last two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jones returned to Detroit, where he played some of his best football from 2016-20. He left Detroit in 2021, after signing a two-year, $12.5 million contract with Jacksonville. Jones was the team’s leading receiver that season with 73 catches for 832 yards and four touchdowns. Last season, he recorded 46 receptions for 529 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
He hauled in a receiving touchdown in the Jaguars’ come-from-behind Wild Card Round victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jones signed a one-year, $3 million contract to return to Detroit back in April. He recorded just five catches for 35 yards in six games this season.
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About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.