Maurice Jones-Drew wants to retire with Oakland Raiders
Maurice Jones-Drew (32) runs with the ball. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
It sounds like former Jacksonville Jaguars superstar running back Maurice Jones-Drew is happy to be back in the state of California and with the Oakland Raiders, and the UCLA product has a chance to revitalize his career by forming a backfield tandem with Darren McFadden. Like MJD, Run DMC has plenty to prove going into the 2014 season, as his deal is a one-year pact laden with incentives after another inconsistent, injury-prone season. MJD is also a talented back, but concerns regarding his age and past workload might trump McFadden’s injury concerns. Like McFadden, Jones-Drew hasn’t been productive for a couple of years, but he did have a ridiculous 1,606 yards (on a ridiculous 343 carries, of course) in 2011 before his downward slide.
We’ll all be rooting for MJD to turn things around in Oakland, especially because he’s a former star who seems like a classy person. He’s taken quite well to joining the Raiders organization, as he told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he feels great and would like to retire with the Raiders organization.
At 29 and with a three-year contract that is only guaranteed or the 2014 season, Jones-Drew will have to prove himself in order to stick around long enough to retire with the Raiders. He’ll have to play well this season and each successive season of his contract, and then he would have to re-sign with the Raiders after this three-year deal or retire at the age of 32. Jones-Drew is a big-name addition for the Raiders, and the deal isn’t risky despite the fact that it lasts three years. If he stinks in 2014, then he’s gone without any consequences for the Raiders, who know that they need playmakers on offense and took a flier on a potential feature back in Jones-Drew.