CINCINNATI -- A hamstring injury has been keeping Marvin Jones out of Cincinnati Bengals practice, the receiver told ESPN on Friday.
The fourth-year wideout has been missing since Monday, one day after he apparently developed soreness in his right hamstring. He reiterated multiple times the injury isn't related to the ankle and foot issues he went through all of last year.
He hopes to practice again next week.
Jones missed all of last season with injuries that stemmed from an offseason workout that he didn't get addressed in a timely fashion. As he attempted to play through the initial ankle injury during last year's preseason "mock game" inside Paul Brown Stadium, Jones broke a bone in his other foot while overcompensating for the original injury. Once he healed from the broken bone seven weeks later, Jones tweaked the ankle again, forcing him to season-ending injured reserve.
He spent all of this offseason getting back to complete health. During organized team activities and minicamp in the spring, he was back to 100 percent.
Jones said the issue purely has to do with getting his body used to playing football again. It's now been nearly two years since he took a meaningful game snap.
The receiver, who had career highs in catches (51), receiving yards (712) and touchdowns (10) in 2013, said he wanted to focus on getting all the soreness out of the hamstring now rather than rush back and end up in a similar position he was in all of last year.
On Thursday, it sounded as if head coach Marvin Lewis' patience with Jones' injury was wearing thin.
"Marvin's got to get to practice if Marvin wants to get to play," Lewis said. "The passing game, a lot of it's about timing and repetition and so forth. It just doesn't happen. You've got to work through it and practice and play and do those things. He's been a bit [behind] because he didn't have last season."
Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said he thinks Jones will soon get the needed reps ahead of the season.
"He understands that," Jackson said. "He'll get the reps. I feel comfortable about that."
In other injury news, defensive end Sam Montgomery joined the list of apparently injured Bengals, as he wore his jersey but no pads during the team's early-evening practice. Also missing in action were receiver Onterio McCalebb and cornerback Adam Jones. It appeared Jones was taking a veteran's day off. Rey Maualuga, Vontaze Burfict, Sean Porter and Cedric Ogbuehi continued to rehab on the side fields.