Lions release Marvin Jones after wide receiver announces he’s ‘stepping away’ for family reasons

Less than seven months after rejoining the Lions for a second stint with the team, wide receiver Marvin Jones announced Tuesday that he is stepping away from football to address personal matters. Detroit also announced his release shortly afterward.

Jones, 33, did not travel with the Lions for their Week 7 matchup with the Ravens on Sunday and was deactivated due to undisclosed personal reasons. He explained in a social media post Tuesday that he won’t be returning to the team.

“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,” he wrote. “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 player/person 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.

“To my brothers and coaches,” Jones continued, “I will be rooting for you every step of the way! This is the year! Go get it!”

Lions coach Dan Campbell told reporters Monday he didn’t believe Jones’ absence was related to anything “serious” but declined to elaborate on his future with the team.

Originally a fifth-round pick of the Bengals in 2012, Jones spent four years in Cincinnati before landing a $40 million deal with the Lions in 2016 free agency. He posted career marks in Detroit, including a 2017 breakout that saw him catch 61 passes for 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns, and remained in town through 2020. Jones returned to the Lions after a two-year stint with the Jaguars, signing a one-year, $3M contract in April. But he managed just five catches for 35 yards on 10 targets during Detroit’s 5-1 start.