Schad: Reshad Jones’ career may be over

Reshad Jones has been one of the most important pieces in the Miami Dolphins defense for the past ten years. Now, as the Dolphins enter a decade full of new faces and renewed hope, Jones can enter a new phase.

According to Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post, Reshad Jones’ career may be over, but the Pro Bowl defensive back says he has no regrets about how his career has gone, just a few doubts about the way he was viewed by the rest of the league. . Jones explains, “I had a great career. Really, I think I had Hall of Fame numbers. You’ll look at me, Troy Polamalu, Brian Dawkins, he played 16 years, I really had Hall of Fame numbers, just not on a Hall of Fame team. We just couldn’t organize the games. But I have had an amazing career. Jones is careful to note that he is very grateful for his time as the Dolphin and that he especially enjoyed the Miami fans.

When Schad referred to the 2010s NFL All-Decade team, a unit that boasted of Eric Berry, Earl Thomas and Eric Weddle (not Jones), the longtime Dolphin gave his opinion on whether he thought he deserved a place, and he didn’t mince words. “There’s no way I shouldn’t have been part of the All-Decade squad,” Jones remarked. “You’re going to look at any security. Eric Berry, whoever he is. The numbers cannot be compared. They don’t add up. I have no regrets about my 10 year career, saying I should have or should have done it. If I play again, it’s still in the air, but you know I feel like I walked in and did everything I had to do.

Looking back on his accomplishments, Jones paid tribute to those who helped him along the way. It’s clear, based on Schad’s play, that Jones feels genuine gratitude to many of the coaches he’s played with (but maybe not all). Of the late Tony Sparano, Jones said: “I am grateful to Sparano for believing in me and giving me a chance to be a starter. He once brought me my rookie year into his office and said, ‘Right now we have five securities here and you are the weakest link. You have to step up. He just kept it real with me, and I went out and proved it.

Jones didn’t have as many kind words to say about New York Jets head coach Adam Gase. Discussing his later years with the Dolphins, Jones explained:

It was a misunderstanding. The coach told me to get out of the game. Why are you removing a Pro Bowler from the game? Why am I spinning? Why are you telling me to sit down? But what they were trying to do was cover up. Because you had a first round pick and they knew he had to play. And the owner was looking at him like, ‘Why do we have this guy as a first round pick and he’s not playing? So they had to justify having a first-round pick there, just to be on the safe side, when we had Pro Bowl safety and other decent safety. So now we have to figure out OK, well, that’s why we made Minkah play. It wasn’t because of me. It was a mistake they made. Adam Gase wanted me to get out of there ’18 and ’19, and when the guys from New England like (Brian) Flores got there it was a bad taste in their mouths because of what was said of Gase and his team.

Finally, expanding on his potential retirement and future plans on or off the pitch, Jones said:

I can definitely play again … I don’t know if I will. I have had a few teams call my agent, but I cannot take a physical exam at this time. So a lot of teams are calling, it’s just not worth it. They find out that I have to have surgery. So right now a lot of teams don’t want to talk because I can’t get on the pitch or pass the physical. But this is not the end of my career. I don’t think this is the case. The doctor said I could have the operation and play again. But in tenth grade, with all I’ve accomplished and financially, I’m ready, I’ve got a few things to weigh.

Per Schad, if Jones chooses not to pursue his career in the NFL, he will focus on “the real estate and sports agency industry and certain business opportunities including entry into the ice cream industry. Gourmet with Marshawn Lynch ”.

Walk into an ice cream shop and see Reshad Jones and Marshawn Lynch serve a double piece of chocolate on a waffle cone … sign me up.

Reshad Jones was perhaps one of the most underrated players to ever wear aqua and orange, at least when it comes to how the rest of the league viewed high safety. level. That said, Dolphins fans are no stranger to the national disrespect towards some of their greats. Heck … Zach Thomas still doesn’t have a golden jacket! Jones is likely to wait a long time to get one (and that’s if he has one), but as a longtime Dolphin fan, I know that here in South Florida, he will always be one of the most beloved players to grace the grill.

I highly recommend you check out the rest of Schad’s article here. The article is a revealing read on Jones’ experiences in the NFL and the Miami Dolphins in particular, and Schad himself does a great job putting it all together.

Looking for more Miami Dolphins news, analysis and updates? Follow Justin Hier on Twitter @HierJustin.