Reactions have been rolling in since Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew ended his 38-day holdout by showing up with apparently no inducement or concession by the team -- not even a full or partial waiver of seven figures in fines. Even though he claims he has no regrets, Jones-Drew clearly lost the stare-down with owner Shahid Khan.
Multiple league sources have stated the obvious in that regard. Players, agents, executives, etc. realize that player and owner hunkered down with their respective positions, and the player caved.
But while it was a win for owner Shahid Khan, he didn’t emerge from the exchange unscathed. By talking tough publicly regarding one of the NFL’s best players, Khan could make it harder for the Jaguars to secure free agents when the money being offered by two or more teams is close. And so the Jags may have to throw in some extra cash to secure the services of a player for whom there is a competitive market.
So while Khan eventually won the battle, both sides lost the broader war. And perhaps the only winners will be other owners who will benefit from the fact that players contemplating a holdout in the future with one or more years left on their current deals will have the memory of the Jones-Drew debacle fresh in their memories.