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2/25/23

2 min read

Dolphins' Byron Jones Says He 'Can't Run or Jump' Due to Injuries

Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones

Mr. Broad Jump apparently has left the building, and he’s not happy with its caretakers.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones, who missed the entire 2022 season after having offseason lower-leg surgery to treat ankle and Achilles injuries, tweeted Saturday that he "can't run or jump because of my injuries sustained playing this game." Jones added  in a second post that “no amount of professional success or financial gain is worth avoidable chronic pain and disabilities.”

Jones, 30, wrote of his time in the NFL in the past tense, and he made it clear he was unhappy with his care. He also had a strong message for his fellow players: Consult outside medical opinions and think about the future before taking team-prescribed pills and injections.

Jones’ sobering messages were shared one day after the NFL tweeted a GIF recalling Jones’ legendary performance at the 2015 Combine. He broad jumped a world-record 12 feet, 3 inches — or longer than the width of two Mini Coopers parked side by side. 

At the 2015 combine, Byron Jones became the first person in the world to clear 12 feet in the broad jump.

The revelation of Jones' deteriorated physical status is shocking because of not only Jones’ obvious athleticism and his age but also his track record of durability in the NFL. He was remarkably durable during his first seven seasons in the league, playing in 109 of 114 possible regular-season games before missing all of this past season after the procedure. 

The Dallas Cowboys selected Jones 27th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. He played five seasons in Dallas and made nearly $15 million on his rookie deal. In 2020, he signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Dolphins. He has been paid more than $54 million of that thus far between salary and bonuses.

Jones carries a salary cap number of more than $18 million for the 2023 season. If he were released before June 1, the Dolphins would absorb a dead-money hit of nearly $15 million, which includes $4.2 million — the prorated remaining amount of his $10.5 million signing bonus. 

Jones played safety his first three seasons in the league but shifted to cornerback in 2018. The move agreed with him. He made second-team All-Pro and was selected to the Pro Bowl that season. Jones has four career interceptions, but 57 passes defensed and 444 combined tackles. 


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