Running back Ronald Jones hasn’t even made his Cowboys debut, but he already has some ground to make up with his teammates, coaches, and fans.
The 2018 second-round draft pick learned on Monday that he has been suspended for the first two games of the regular season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. On Tuesday, the 25-year-old offered an explanation to those who automatically assumed the worst.
“I just want to clear my name,” said Jones, per the team website. “Everybody wants to say I’m on steroids and, clearly, I’m not. I’m one of the skinniest dudes on the team and in the league.”
What Jones tested positive for, he explained, is an unspecified “heart stimulant” that was previously prescribed by a doctor.
“It’s something I’ve been prescribed over the course of my career,” said the former USC Trojan. “It wasn’t any steroid or anything to enhance my game.”
Jones told reporters at Cowboys training camp in Oxnard that the positive test occurred last season, while he was still with the Chiefs.
Head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that the team knew about the issue prior to signing Jones in March.
“We obviously were aware of the situation,” McCarthy stated in a Tuesday press conference. “We support him, and we’ll work through this.”
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Jones stressed that the medication was not taken as a performance enhancer.
“I’m not cheating the game of football,” he said. “It’s literally a prescription medicine. I asked for a retest, [including] a sample of my blood. They didn’t want to look at it. I think there needs to be more protection for players because if you’re having health issues, I mean, we’re human beings outside of football. We have real-life issues, too. My family suffers from heart disease and things like that.”
But, he added, “I’m responsible for what I put in my body.”
Part of a crowded running backs room with five men looking to serve as Tony Pollard’s primary backup, Jones- who played his high school ball at McKinney North- had hoped for a fresh start in his Dallas homecoming. After a career-best 978 rushing yards in Tampa Bay in 2020, Jones fell out of favor with the Buccaneers the following year, losing opportunities to Leonard Fournette. He spent 2022 in Kansas City but logged just 17 carries over six games all season.
Now his comeback bid as a Cowboy will see a delayed start. Jones is eligible to continue practicing with the team and can even play in the preseason, but he will have to miss Week 1’s visit to the Giants and a home date with the Jets in Week 2.
“I’m still gonna be out here working, through preseason and training camp. Just put my best foot forward and try to move on from this,” he said.
“You just got to block out the noise.”
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