“After 14 seasons in the NFL, I have decided to retire so that I can spend more time with my family,” said Jones via a press release today. “I am grateful for all those who have supported me throughout the years. Specifically, I would like to thank Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman, Doug Pederson and the entire Eagles organization for allowing me to be a part of their family for the past five seasons. I will truly miss my teammates, coaches, friends and the best fans in the NFL. Although I am retiring, I will always be an Eagle and will forever have a special place in my heart for the city of Philadelphia. It is a great honor to be a part of the first Super Bowl championship team in Eagles history and there is no better way to finish my career.”
His time spent with the Eagles has been nothing but memorable. A mainstay through both the Chip Kelly and Doug Pederson era’s, Jones would set a record for most regular games played by a punter with 80. Through the highest of highs and lowest of lows, Jones would get the Eagles out of trouble in all situations. From the Snow bowl and playoff games, to underdog wins and heartbreaking losses, it didn’t take long for the nickname ‘Donnie Longball’ to stick.
“We want to congratulate Donnie Jones on reaching the pinnacle of his career and retiring as a Super Bowl champion.” The Eagles noted in their press release, detailing the retirement. “Donnie is a professional in every sense of the word and we wish him all the best in retirement. We owe much of our recent special teams success to Donnie, as evidenced by the numerous franchise punting records he set during his five-year run with the Eagles. We will miss Donnie’s ability on the field, but will also miss his enthusiastic personality and the daily commitment he made to engaging with our community and our fan base.”
You can say a lot about punters. But from forgetting to take his warm-up pants off, to pinning teams deep inside their own territory, Jones was far more than that. He was a player that the team and their fans could count on week in and week out. He was a player that stood the test of time and only seemed to get better with age, like a fine wine. Donnie Jones was simply a legend in the city of Philadelphia and he will close the curtains on a storied career, with the grandest prize of all.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
