Football pro Byron Jones has criticised the NFL as a hard-nosed bone-mill and made an appeal to succeeding generations of players.

Football pro Byron Jones has criticised the NFL as a hard-nosed bone-mill and made a powerful appeal to succeeding generations of players. “I can’t run or jump because of the injuries I’ve sustained in this sport,” the 30-year-old wrote on Twitter. He said teams’ medical departments rigorously inject players with fitness – with no regard for health or long-term consequences.

“Do NOT take the pills they give you. DO NOT take the injections they give you,” Jones further wrote: “If you absolutely must, consult an outside doctor to learn the long-term effects.”

Defender Jones, who signed with the Miami Dolphins as a cornerback and previously suited up for the Dallas Cowboys, missed last season because of surgery on his Achilles tendon.

“It was an honour and a privilege to play in the NFL, but it came at an unfortunate cost that I didn’t foresee,” added Jones, who, according to ESPN, has not yet declared his career over: “In my opinion, no amount of professional success or financial gain is worth avoidable chronic pain and disability. Good luck to you in the draft class of 2023. “

The draft usually features junior players from colleges and universities, hoping to be selected by an NFL team. In the run-up to the draft, players can demonstrate their skills at the Combine, where they face various challenges such as a 40-yard sprint.

Jones set a Combine record in 2015 that is still valid today. At that time, he jumped 3.74 metres from a standing start. “A lot has changed in the past eight years,” he now wrote.

The NFL itself always emphasises that the health of its players is the highest good. The league recently tightened up the Concussion Protocol, which stipulates how to deal with players injured in the head. In January, Cincinnati Bengals safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest after a hard hit and had to be resuscitated on the field.