Following his and the Dallas Cowboys’ discovery on Monday that the veteran running back has been suspended by the NFL for violating the league’s rules regarding performance-enhancing drugs, Ronald Jones will miss the first two games of the 2023 season.
In his six-year career, Jones has never been suspended before. The 25-year-old spoke about the penalty on Tuesday.
“I just want to clear my name,” stated Jones, who signed with the Cowboys, feeling like he was returning home to Texas. “Everyone wants to claim that I’m using steroids, even though I’m not.” I’m among the league’s and the team’s skinny guys.”
Jones continued by stating that the drug in question was a “heart stimulant” that he had been prescribed for a long time by a medical professional and that he was unaware of the restriction.
“It’s something I’ve been prescribed over the course of my career,” Jones stated. “It wasn’t a performance-enhancing substance like steroids. It was medication that I had never heard of from a doctor. The results of the testing showed that I am in charge of what I put into my body.
Jones’ penalty will undoubtedly have an impact on the running back race as rookies Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke look to make a name for themselves while facing off against returning players Rico Dowdle and Malik Davis.
Although Jones finds the entire affair regrettable, he is trying to keep his attention on the task at hand, which is made more challenging by his assured absence in September’s matchup between the two clubs.
Jones advised, “You just gotta block out the noise.” “People can say anything they want, but in all my football playing years, I have never cheated. It stings, but I’m accountable for my medications and other things I was taking. I’ve played this game for free for years and years. Now, to be here and have people say that about me.”
Jones described how the situation came to be, expressing his obvious frustration with the league’s choice and reluctance to conduct more investigation.
“It is disappointing,” uttered by him. “That was prior to my signing here. It took place during the previous season. I only wanted to clear my name, even though I’m not sure how it happened.
“I’m not trying to cheat in the football game. It is, in fact, a prescription drug. I requested a retesting that included a blood sample. They were unwilling to examine it. I believe that players should have greater protection because, let’s face it, we’re all human outside of the football pitch.
“We too have real-world problems. My relatives have heart problems and other ailments.”
To assist guarantee he stays in the picture for the regular season, the task at hand is to just refocus and demonstrate his worth before September.
