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Free agent Jones prefers DP deal, but doesn't rule out Europe return

Isaiah J. Downing / USA TODAY Sports

Jermaine Jones is flicking through the classifieds once again.

After trudging off Dick's Sporting Goods Park following the Colorado Rapids' two-legged 3-1 aggregate loss in the Western Conference final to the Seattle Sounders on Sunday, the veteran midfielder stated his intention to return to Designated Player status - just as he was in the 2015 campaign with the New England Revolution - otherwise he could look away from the States.

"People know that I came to this league as a (Designated Player) and this is where I want to go back to," Jones told The Denver Post's Daniel Boniface. "I'm a free agent now. I will sit back and see what comes. I'm not scared to go back to Europe or scared to go to Mexico or somewhere."

Jones' options were limited at the end of last season when Major League Soccer hit him with a six-match suspension for aggressively remonstrating with referee Mark Geiger in a Revs playoff loss to DC United in October 2015. He was subsequently offered a significant drop from his $3.05-million annual salary by the Revolution, forcing him to explore his options elsewhere.

Related: Jermaine Jones unleashes tirade on New England Revolution, MLS

Despite missing the earlier part of the 2016 term due to the ban, and sustaining a long-term knee injury in July, his eventual switch to the Rapids - penning a $650,000 one-year agreement - was one step back but two steps forward for the 67-time United States international.

"This season was special," Jones said. "My situation was completely different before the season and I said, 'I don't care about money,' and I come and I want to play, and I want to show people that I can be an impact player."

But Jones, who wore the captain's armband in the weekend wrangle, wants to ink another Designated Player contract at the age of 35. If not, he'll likely eye Germany as a potential destination due to it being his country of birth and where he represented Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, and FC Schalke 04 until a brief sojourn at Turkey's Besiktas preceded his 2014 switch Stateside.

It seems he won't be sprucing up his Linkedin page quite yet, though.

"I'm really relaxed. There's no pressure on me. It's always good if you have the cards in your hands and especially if you're a free agent."

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