Cowboys' Ronald Jones II explains performance-enhancers suspension: 'I'm not cheating the game of football'
Jones signed with Cowboys following Super Bowl runs with the Chiefs and Bucs
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dallas Cowboys running back Ronald Jones II spoke out Tuesday after he was hit with a two-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancers.
Jones, who won Super Bowls with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs, said the medicine that popped up on the test was a "heart stimulant" he was prescribed by a licensed doctor.
"I just want to clear my name," Jones told reporters, via the team’s 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."
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Dallas Cowboys running back Ronald Jones carries the ball during a training camp drill at River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, California, on July 26, 2023. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA Today Sports)
He said he wasn’t trying to "enhance" his abilities on the football field.
"It's something I've been prescribed over the course of my career," he said. "It wasn't any steroid or anything to enhance my game. It was medicine prescribed by a doctor that I wasn't aware of. The tests came back and I'm responsible for what I put in my body.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Just gotta make sure it's not gonna happen again."
Jones said the test happened last season and heart issues are something that run in his family.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I'm not cheating the game of football," he added. "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."
Dallas Cowboys running back Ronald Jones, left, and defensive end Ben Banogu during training camp in Oxnard, California, on July 27, 2023. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
Jones was vying to be one of the running backs in the Cowboys’ rotation after the team cut Ezekiel Elliott in the offseason.
Dallas has Tony Pollard, Malik Davis, Deuce Vaughn and Rico Dowdle on the depth chart in training camp. Jones is still eligible to participate in drills.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The former USC standout was a second-round selection of Tampa Bay in 2018. He played four seasons with the Buccaneers from 2018 to 2021. He had 2,174 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in that span and was on the team when Tom Brady led them to a Super Bowl against the Chiefs.
Ronald Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs during the Bears game at Soldier Field on Aug. 13, 2022 in Chicago. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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The following season, Jones joined the Chiefs. He had 70 rushing yards in six games and made one appearance for the team in the playoffs. Kansas City defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.