Well, at least Maurice Jones-Drew won’t have to put up with replacement officials.
Earlier today, owner Shahid Khan chided the holdout tailback, saying that the "[t]rain is leaving the station” and that he should “[r]un, get on it.” Though Jones-Drew still has had nothing to say about the situation, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the holdout is expected to last into the regular season.
So Khan apparently has his answer.
If Jones-Drew shows up before the Tuesday after Week 10, he can finish out the season and get credit for the year of service under his contract. If he doesn’t report by the Tuesday after Week 10, he can’t play for the Jags or anyone in 2012, and his contract would kick over to 2013, keeping him signed for two more seasons.
The Jaguars are facing little pressure to cave, and Khan recently has said that, on a scale of one to 10, Jones-Drew’s absence doesn’t even move the needle.
With the parties dug in and no discernible middle ground, this one will continue until someone blinks.
