After an impressive first half with the New England Patriots’ new regime, the franchise rewarded slot corner and punt returner Marcus Jones on Tuesday with a three-year contract extension, per a team source.
The 27-year-old third-round pick in the 2022 draft was in the last year of his rookie contract.
Jones made a massive impact as a rookie. He had a game-winning punt return for a touchdown with seconds remaining against the New York Jets and was named an All-Pro punt returner. However, injuries derailed his sophomore season, and his play in 2023 was just OK.
Under Vrabel, though, Jones has returned to playing as arguably the NFL’s best punt returner while also playing an important role in the secondary.
This contract extension means that Vrabel knows who his returner and nickel corner will be for at least the next couple of years. That’s important given the massive roster turnover Vrabel embarked on when he took over the team.
In what seemed like a surprise earlier this year, Jones was named a team captain. He’s backed up that honor with his play this season, though.
Through eight games, Jones has played 76 percent of defensive snaps, the fifth-most on the team and the second-most among cornerbacks. He’s been graded by Pro Football Focus as the 27th-best among 113 qualifying corners. Jones also ranks first in the NFL in yards per punt return (21.6) and third in total punt return yards (216).
The Patriots don’t have many pending unrestricted free agents, so getting Jones locked up helps their offseason outlook. Safety Jaylinn Hawkins is the next most likely pending free agent to get an extension now that Jones’ extension is done.
Jones’ emergence this season is also a testament to what he’s overcome in his time in the NFL. By the time he reached the final year of his four-year contract, Jones had already played for Bill Belichick, lost most of a season due to surgery, played for Jerod Mayo, then went through a third coaching change, this time as the Pats pivoted to Vrabel.
Yet, since he took over, Vrabel has praised Jones as the NFL’s top punt returner. Now, their extension of Jones backs up that statement.
