OXNARD, Calif. — Dallas Cowboys running back Ronald Jones spoke to reporters on Tuesday to explain the two-game suspension he received from the NFL.
Jones, who joined Dallas in March, will miss the first two games of the 2023 regular season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. He can still participate in all preseason practices and games.
The 25-year-old, however, said on Tuesday that he wanted to set the record straight that he's not on steroids or any kind of drug to enhance his play.
"I just wanted to clear my name. I'm not cheating the game of football," Jones told reporters at training camp in Oxnard, Calif.
He said what a test discovered was actually a prescription medication he takes for his heart. He said he's been taking the medicine since he was on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which was between 2018 and 2021.
"My family suffers from heart disease," he said.
Jones said that he had asked the league to test again but that he was still stuck with the suspension.
"I think there needs to be more protection for players. If we have health issues, we're human beings outside of football. We have real life issues too," Jones said.
If Jones makes the final roster, he won't be available for the team until Week 3 of the regular season ahead of Sept. 24's game against the Arizona Cardinals.
The 25-year-old joined the Cowboys already having two Super Bowl wins under his belt with the Bucs and just last season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jones is also a native of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He starred at McKinney North High School and then played college football at the University of Southern California.