Marvin on Marvin: He needs to practice if he wants to play

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones has missed the last two practices with a sore hamstring, and from the sound of things, head coach Marvin Lewis doesn’t expect him to go today and is growing frustrated with the situation.

“Marvin’s got to get to practice if Marvin wants to get to play,” Lewis said during Thursday morning's press conference. “He hasn’t played football for us in a year basically.”

Jones broke his right foot during training camp last year, causing him to miss six weeks, then he injured his left ankle a few practices after returning, forcing the Bengals to place him on season-ending Injured Reserve.

Jones participated in OTAs and minicamp without issue in the spring, and he was on the field for the first practice of training camp July 31. But he tweaked his hamstring Sunday and has not returned to the field since.

He watched Monday’s practice without doing any work. Tuesday he was on the side rehab field going through drills. Wednesday was an off day for the Bengals.

“In order to play football, you’ve got to practice,” Lewis said. “We’re not going to play people who can’t practice with us. He’s got to be like everybody else and find a way to get out there and get going.

“The passing game is a lot about timing and repetition,” Lewis continued. “It just doesn’t happen. You’ve got to work through it and practice and play. And he’s been a bit (behind), because he didn’t have last season. So it’s important.”

About the Author