Dallas Cowboys Player Suspended Two Games for PEDs

A Dallas Cowboys player will miss the first two games of the season. On Tuesday, the team announced that running back Ronald Jones has been suspended by the NFL for two games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. Jones said his failed test was for a heart medicine he has been prescribed since he joined the NFL.

"We tried to appeal. I asked for a re-test, sample my blood, my health concerns and they didn't really look at it. I think there needs to be more protection for the players because if you have health issues, we're a human being outside of football and we have real-life issues too. My family suffers from heart disease," he said, per ESPN. 

Update: The NFL has suspended #Cowboys RB Ronald Jones for 2 games, per @FieldYates pic.twitter.com/wKBCnAzA0z

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 31, 2023

Jones went on to express his frustration with the decision because he feels like he didn't do anything wrong. "It is disappointing," he said, per the Cowboys official website. "It was before I signed here. It happened last season. I'm just confused how it came about, but I just wanted to clear my name. I'm not cheating the game of football. 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."

Jones, 25, was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He played four seasons with the Buccaneers and rushed for 2,174 yards and 18 touchdowns in 55 games. His best season was in 2020 when he rushed for 978 yards and seven touchdowns, and it's the same year the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl. 

Following the 2021 season, Jones signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. He saw limited action, playing in just six games and rushed for 70 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries. But he earned another Super Bowl ring when the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the big game in February. 

Jones signed a contract with the Cowboys in March. He was brought in to add depth to a position that will look different from last year. The Cowboys cut Ezekiel Elliott, before signing Jones. Tony Pollard will be the starting running but the No. 2 man is an open competition that includes Malik Davis, Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke.