Maurice Jones-Drew Says He’s Not Quitting on Jaguars, Wants to Return to Team
By Josh Hill
For Maurice Jones-Drew, this season has been one of his worst and that’s not a reference to statistics. From the very start of the season, Jones-Drew was making waves with fans and ownership by holding out until he got a new contract. He never got that contract but instead planted the seeds that he wanted to be done with Jacksonville.
On top of that, Jones-Drew started the season as the second string running back (well until he reminded everyone he was a Pro Bowler in Week 1), and then suffered a foot injury that has kept him out of action since Week 8.
But Jones-Drew says he wants to return to the Jaguars for the final two weeks of the season, citing the old adage winners never quit.
"“When things get tough losers tend to quit. For me I get paid to play football, if I can go out there and be productive and help my team, I’m all for it. Win, lose or draw whatever the record is, but I won’t go out there and put people at risk. And so today is really to make sure everything is like we thought it was the last couple of weeks and kind of validate some things we seen, and if it’s that way we’ll see how it goes throughout the week.”"
Jones-Drew could honestly be saying that he has a contract to honor — which is wildly and hilariously ironic considering his preseason holdout. But what has to be kicking around in the back of Jones-Drew’s mind is that if he doesn’t play, he might not be able to properly showcase himself to teams that might want to trade for him this offseason.
That though could be occurring to the jaded Jaguars front office as well.
Whether Jones-Drew plays the final two games or not will likely in no way effect the desire other teams have to want him on their roster. For instance, Jones-Drew could sit the final two games and it will in no way mean the Packer suddenly think he’s washed up, or that the Patriots, Steelers or Bears all of a sudden decide he’s a hack.
But it is nice to see Jones-Drew back off his hostile stance from earlier this season and embrace his importance to a team that’s not very good. At the very least it’s nice damage control on his image after the holdout and shows that he’s still got a brain if not heart in Jacksonville.
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