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New England Revolution: Time to Let Jermaine Jones Go

By Brian Carson

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New England Revolution DP midfielder and star icon Jermaine Jones’s 18-month contract came to an end this past month as the Revs bowed out of the MLS Playoffs to old-time foe DC United. Jones originally signed for the Revs back in August of 2014 after an impressive outing at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil earlier that summer.

Since then, Jones has acquired a total salary of $4.7 million dollars under his contract, making him the 11th highest paid MLS player of 2015 with a single-season salary of $3.05 million.

Many signs point to the star’s departure, such as his Instagram post thanking Revolution fans for their support over the past year and a half. However, Jones has also expressed his content with the club and his living arrangements in Boston, as well, leaving a bit of hope for a return as long as the Revs are willing to cough up the cash.

The league website, reported that Jones told the media earlier this month, “I was a long time now away from my family, and family is really important for me, and I want to try to take them with me. If we have a longer deal, the kids can come and go in school in that area where you play.”

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If Jones is in fact looking for a long-term contract and is willing to stay in New England for the right price, I do not think he is worth the amount of money he will cost the club.

I have been, and still am, one of the biggest Jermaine Jones fans out there. However, the reality is that he is 34 years old, has faced multiple injuries already during his Revolution tenure that have forced him off the field for extensive periods of time, and will only become more prone to these types of detrimental injuries as he ages into the tender years of the mid to late 30s.

Assuming Jermaine Jones does stay healthy throughout the next few years (a very daring assumption, mind you) I do not see him being worth the minimum $3 million a year price tag that he has been subliminally suggesting.

Sep 13, 2015; Jermaine Jones (right) battles it out with young Italian DP Sebastian Giovinco (left) of Toronto FC who was the second highest-paid MLS player in 2015 with a salary of $7.11 million Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Jermaine Jones has been excellent for this club on and off the field, but he is looking for a contract that only the David Beckham’s and Thierry Henry’s of the pack can demand. He is no “needle mover”: a player who can single-handedly bring a team deep into the playoffs, fill entire stadiums, and increase merchandise sales ten-fold.

Although Jones did carry the team into the MLS Cup Final last season, his off-the-field impact did not entirely match the magnitude of his on-the-field intensity, as was completely expected. Jerseys were sold, attendance rose to an extent, and the team was driven by a true enforcer from the back midfield. Jones did his job. It was not anything spectacular, but he did what was asked of him.

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As a Revs fan that will support the club long after the team’s current players are gone, my concern is about the future of the team and its ability to win a championship. With Portland Timbers, New York Red Bulls, FC Dallas, and Columbus Crew SC in the league semi-finals, this season has shown us that a balanced and coherent roster of adequately talented and disciplined players wins seasons rather than a shamble of high-paid DPs.

I am sure that after breaking the bank for a long-term Jermaine Jones contract, the Revs front office would be strained to sign any additional quality players in the near future observing the club’s past conservative spending habits. We would have dug ourselves into a financial hole that would bring us back to the Dark Ages of Revs history (2010-2012 CE), leaving us cup-less for a much longer period of time.

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As much as I love and appreciate what Jermaine Jones has done for the organization and fans, the Revs cannot possibly sign him for the same yearly salary if we are to have any hope of building a championship team in the future.

Use our funds for the development of players such as Diego Fagundez and Steve Caldwell, and bring in quality players that can easily buy into coach Jay Heaps’s system. This is the new way of winning championships in this league. Signing Jones to a long-term contract would kill these hopes.

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