Jones, entering the final year of his contract as the ninth-highest paid DT in the NFL, wants to be paid closer to Aaron Donald’s $31.7 million-per-year figure. While it’s a surprise sides have yet to come to a solution with the season commencing, Jones said he hasn’t been frustrated by the situation.
“I’ve been in Miami, just training, staying focused, understanding that this is a process,” he said. “I’ve been keeping in contact with my teammates. I’m still working out every day, still doing similar things that they do in training camp. The camaraderie, we got a lot of new players, there’s that aspect of it. But I’ll be ready to go when that times calls.”
Jones added that he felt holding out was less distracting to teammates than a hold-in, which is one reason he stayed away, already accruing fines upwards of $2 million.
The 29-year-old said it’s just business.
“It’s just like when you’re at a job, and you ask for an extension, right, and you ask for a raise, right? You’re not letting anyone down,” Jones said. “Who are you letting down for asking your boss for a raise, right? So when you take the personal feelings out of it, all I’m doing is asking for a raise.”
At this point, sides haven’t been able to find common ground on a raise, putting the start of the season in jeopardy.
Asked what his plan was for Thursday, Jones responded:
“I don’t know yet, man. I don’t know. I could be playing. I could be on the sidelines. I don’t know. We’ll see tomorrow.”