Marvin Jones posted on Instagram on Tuesday that he will be “stepping away” to “take care of personal family matters.”
The Detroit Lions let him go shortly after.
Jones made a comeback to the team over the summer for a second time; however, he was inactive this past weekend against the Baltimore Ravens.
“I just want to say that the Ford family, Detroit, my teammates, and coaches are all people whom I love and respect so very much. To put it briefly, I am leaving the team to attend to personal family problems,” he wrote on Instagram, adding the words “With love” and a heart emoji to the comment. “I cannot be the player/person that I need to be for this team and care for my family from a distance, even if this was not an easy decision to make. Over the years, this organization has been wonderful in expressing love and support to my family and myself, and this time is no different. I will be pulling for my brothers and coaches the entire way!
Dan Campbell, the head coach, stated on Monday that he did not consider Jones’ absence to be “serious,” but he did not elaborate.
After playing with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the previous two seasons, Jones received a contract for $3 million.
The Cincinnati Bengals selected the 33-year-old in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Before the 2016 campaign, he signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Lions, and the following year, he made a big impact by setting a career high with 1,101 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
He was competing for playing time behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, and, after he returned from suspension, Jameson Williams in six games this season. He has five catches for 35 yards on 10 targets.
