Marcus Jones is in the middle of possibly his best season with the Patriots. On Tuesday, New England's front office showed him how much it appreciates his efforts.
The team announced that the 27-year-old cornerback has signed a contract extension. Terms of the deal were not released, but it will keep Jones from entering free agency this summer when his rookie deal was set to expire.
A third-round draft pick by New England in 2022, he has totaled 36 tackles, two interceptions, nine pass breakups and a sack through eight games while being on the field for 76% of the defensive snaps. The two picks have already tied his career high from his rookie season. The nine breakups are one shy of equaling his career best.
His output this season is a function of the connectivity he's had with his teammates throughout the defense, Jones said.
“I feel as though there's a lot of guys that trust each other,” Jones said Monday. “Flying around to the ball, overcommunicating and things of that nature. Whenever you do have that trust, it allows us to go and make plays.”
Jones' efforts as a punt returner earned him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a punt 87 yards for a touchdown in the Patriots' 42-13 win over Carolina in Week 4. He finished that game with a single-game franchise record 167 yards on three punt returns, topping the 156 return yards by Mike Haynes against Buffalo in 1976.
That was the second such honor of Jones' career. He also earned it his rookie season in 2022 after an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown with 5 seconds to play that vaulted New England to a 10-3 win over the New York Jets.
He garnered an All-Pro selection as a punt returner that same season.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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