Lions' Marvin Jones Jr. Says He Considered Leaving NFL After Death of Infant Son

On Thursday, Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. penned a letter on The Players' Tribune to his four children discussing the days following the sudden passing of his six-month-old son, Marlo, last December. In the process, he revealed that he considered retiring from the NFL.

He wrote:

"It’s tough to talk about even all these months later, but after your little brother Marlo passed away in December….

"Daddy was ready to call it quits.

"Not just football, either. I’m talking just get away from...everything.

"Leave the country. Move to Spain. Hunker down. Just us and Mommy. That sort of thing. Never talk to anyone ever again, never have to face anyone or discuss anything, just shield us all from the entire outside world. You know what I mean?

"We were all just struggling so much."

Jones discussed the support that he, his wife Jazmyn and his four children (Marv, Mareon, Murrell and Mya) received in the days following Marlo's passing.

That included visits from numerous members of the Lions organization (like quarterback Matt Stafford and head coach Matt Patricia) and their family members.

Jones' family and friends offered love and support as well, and the same went for people that the wideout didn't even know.

"Local businesses and restaurants sent over food and care packages," Jones wrote.

"Police and firefighters stopped by to lend their support. Friends, sports fans, and just regular folks from all around the world sent us their well-wishes and shared their stories of loss with us to make sure we knew we weren’t alone."

Jones also announced that Jazmyn, who owns and operates Nothing Bundt Cakes in Troy, Michigan, is expecting a baby girl in February.

The 30-year-old wideout has been in the NFL since 2012 after playing college ball at Cal. The former Cincinnati Bengal, who has been with Detroit since 2016, has amassed 33 catches, 404 yards and five touchdowns in 2020.