Marcus Jones (cornerback)

Marcus Jones
Jones with the New England Patriots in 2025
No. 25 – New England Patriots
PositionsCornerback • Punt returner
Roster statusActive
Personal information
Born (1998-10-22) October 22, 1998
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Listed weight188 lb (85 kg)
Career information
High schoolEnterprise (Enterprise, Alabama)
College
NFL draft2022: 3rd round, 85th overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics as of 2025
Total tackles167
Sacks2
Fumble recoveries7
Pass deflections28
Interceptions6
Receiving yards96
Rushing yards5
Return yards1,777
Total touchdowns6
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Marcus Elliot Jones (born October 22, 1998) is an American professional football cornerback and punt returner for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Troy Trojans and the Houston Cougars. Jones was selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Early life

Jones grew up in Enterprise, Alabama and attended Enterprise High School, where he played basketball and football.[1] He was named all-state as a senior after recording 27 tackles with five interceptions and 16 passes broken up on defense and returning three punts and one kickoff for touchdowns.[2]

College career

Troy

2017 season

Jones began his college football career at Troy in 2017. He was named the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference as a return specialist after returning 30 kickoffs for 879 yards and three touchdowns and 14 for 121 yards while also intercepting two passes on defense, one of which was returned for a touchdown.[3]

2018 season

As a sophomore in 2018, he was named first-team All-Sun Belt as a return specialist after returning 23 kickoffs for 584 yards and one touchdown and to the second-team as a cornerback after breaking up eight passes with one interception.[4]

Houston

2019 season

After his sophomore season, Jones entered the NCAA transfer portal and later announced that he would be transferring to the University of Houston in 2019.[5][6] He sat out one season and redshirt due to NCAA transfer rules, maintaining his junior status for the 2020 season.

2020 season

Jones had 24 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, and one interception on defense during his redshirt junior season in 2020.[7] Jones was also named first-team All-American Athletic Conference as a return specialist after leading the nation with 337 yards on 17 punt returns with one returned for a touchdown.[8]

2021 season

During his redshirt senior season in 2021, Jones returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown with 17 seconds left against 19th-ranked SMU to win the game 44–37.[9] To cap off the season he won the Paul Hornung Award, given to the nation's most versatile player,[10] and was selected to the Associated Press All-America first-team as a defensive back.[11] He also won American Athletic Conference (AAC) Special Teams Player of the Year along with being named first-team All-AAC as a return specialist and second-team All-AAC as a cornerback.[12]

College statistics

Season GP Tackles Interceptions Fumbles Kick returns Punt returns
Solo Ast Cmb TfL Sck Int Yds Avg TD PD FR FF TD Ret Yds Avg TD Ret Yds Avg TD
Troy Trojans
2017 13 34 15 49 2.0 0.0 2 110 55.0 1 6 0 0 0 30 879 29.3 3 14 115 8.2 0
2018 11 23 10 33 0.0 0.0 1 0 0.0 0 8 1 0 0 23 584 25.4 1 6 49 8.2 0
Houston Cougars
2019 0 Sat out due to NCAA transfer portal rules and redshirt
2020 7 18 6 24 2.0 0.0 1 22 22.0 0 4 0 0 0 5 102 20.4 0 17 337 19.8 1
2021 13 36 11 47 1.0 0.0 5 2 0.4 0 13 0 1 0 15 510 34.0 2 26 374 14.4 2
Career 44 111 42 153 5.0 0.0 9 134 14.9 1 31 1 1 0 73 2,075 28.4 6 63 875 13.9 3

Professional career

Pre-draft

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span Wingspan
5 ft 8 in
(1.73 m)		 174 lb
(79 kg)		 28+7⁄8 in
(0.73 m)		 8+7⁄8 in
(0.23 m)		 5 ft 9+3⁄4 in
(1.77 m)
All values from NFL Combine[13][14]

2022: First All-Pro selection

See also: 2022 New England Patriots season

Jones was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round (85th overall) of the 2022 NFL draft.[15]

In Week 11 against the New York Jets, with five seconds left in the game, Jones made a game-winning 84-yard punt return touchdown in the 10–3 win.[16] It was the first punt return touchdown in the NFL for the 2022 season.[17][18] In the Patriots' Week 13 game against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football, Jones scored his first career offensive touchdown on a 48-yard catch-and-run reception, on the first offensive snap of his career. It was the first receiving touchdown from scrimmage by a defensive back since the Jets' Marcus Coleman in 2000, also against the Bills.[19] In the Patriots' Christmas Eve game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Jones scored on a 69-yard pick-six, making him the first player in 45 seasons to score a touchdown on offense, defense, and special teams in the same season.[20] Officially, Jones was the first player since Bill Dudley and Tom Harmon (both in 1947) to accomplish the feat.[21]

Jones finished his rookie season with 39 tackles, seven passes defended, and two interceptions on defense. On offense, he had four receptions for 78 yards and one touchdown. He led the NFL with 362 punt return yards and 12.5 yards per punt return with one punt returned for a touchdown while finishing fifth in the league with 645 kick return yards. Jones was named first-team All-Pro as a punt returner by the Associated Press,[22] and he was additionally selected to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.[23]

2023: Shoulder injury

See also: 2023 New England Patriots season

In Week 2 of the 2023 season, Jones suffered a shoulder injury and was placed on injured reserve on September 22, 2023.[24]

2024: Return from injury

See also: 2024 New England Patriots season

Jones returned in 2024 as the starting slot corner and primary punt returner. He played in 14 games with nine starts, recording 58 tackles, 10 pass deflections, and one interception.[25]

2025: Second All-Pro selection

See also: 2025 New England Patriots season

In Week 4 of the 2025 season against the Carolina Panthers, Jones had an 88-yard punt return for a touchdown. Jones broke the franchise single-game record for punt return yards with 167 yards on three returns, set by Mike Haynes' 156 yards in a 1976 game,[26] and was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[27] In Week 6, against the New Orleans Saints, Jones recorded his first career sack on quarterback Spencer Rattler in the 25–19 win.[28] In Week 7, Jones intercepted Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward in the Patriots' 31–13 win. On October 28, Jones agreed to a three-year, $36 million extension with the Patriots, which will keep him with the team through the 2028 season.[29][30] On October 30, Jones was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month.[31] In Week 12, Jones recorded his second career pick-six, also against the Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 13, in the Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, he returned a punt for 94 yards for a touchdown.[32]

He finished the 2025 season playing in all 17 games with eight starts, recording 65 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, one sack, 11 pass deflections, and three interceptions with one touchdown. As a punt returner, Jones returned 21 punts for 363 yards and two touchdowns.[33] He was named to the second-team All-Pro as a punt returner.[34]

In the divisional round game against the Houston Texans, Jones scored on a 26-yard pick-six off C. J. Stroud to retake the lead.[35] New England won 28–16.[36] He had seven total tackles in Super Bowl LX, a 29–13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.[37]

NFL career statistics

Legend
NFL record
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

Defense
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast TFL Sck PD Int Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR Yds TD
2022 NE 15 4 39 34 5 2 0.0 7 2 87 43.5 69 1 0 1 0 0
2023 NE 2 1 5 4 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 1 0 0
2024 NE 14 9 58 48 10 1 0.0 10 1 35 35.0 35 0 0 2 17 0
2025 NE 17 8 65 47 18 8 2.0 11 3 65 21.7 33 1 0 3 0 0
Career 48 22 167 133 34 11 2.0 28 6 187 31.2 69 2 0 7 17 0
Offense and special teams
Year Team Games Receiving Kick returns Punt returns
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD
2022 NE 15 4 4 78 19.5 48 1 27 645 23.9 46 0 29 362 12.5 84 1
2023 NE 2 1 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 3 21 7.0 21 0
2024 NE 14 9 1 18 18.0 18 0 0 0 — 0 0 26 386 14.8 62 0
2025 NE 17 8 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 21 363 17.3 94 2
Career 48 22 5 96 19.2 48 1 27 645 23.9 46 0 79 1,132 14.3 94 3

Postseason

Defense
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast TFL Sck PD Int Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR Yds TD
2025 NE 4 2 21 18 3 0 1.0 4 1 26 26.0 26 1 1 0 0 0
Career 4 2 21 18 3 0 1.0 4 1 26 26.0 26 1 1 0 0 0
Offense and special teams
Year Team Games Receiving Kick returns Punt returns
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD
2025 NE 4 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 9 61 6.8 24 0
Career 4 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 9 61 6.8 24 0

Records

NFL records

  • Highest average yards per punt return in a career: 14.3

Patriots franchise records

  • Most punt return yards in a single game: 167 (September 28, 2025 vs. Carolina Panthers)

Notes and references

  1. ^ Selected as a punt returner
  2. ^ Selected as a punt returner
  3. ^ Selected as a return specialist.
  4. ^ Selected as a cornerback.
  1. ^ Boutwell, Josh (January 5, 2017). "EHS star player steps away from basketball court to focus on football". Dothan Eagle. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  2. ^ Mundee, David (January 30, 2017). "Enterprise star Marcus Jones commits to Troy, other locals set to sign". Dothan Eagle. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  3. ^ Kennedy, Jahmal (December 11, 2017). "Troy's Jones earns ESPN Freshman All-American honors". WSFA.com. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  4. ^ Mundee, David (March 30, 2019). "Former Enterprise, Troy star Marcus Jones announces transfer to University of Houston". Dothan Eagle. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  5. ^ Zenitz, Matt (March 5, 2019). "Troy star enters NCAA transfer portal". AL.com. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  6. ^ Duarte, Joseph (April 3, 2019). "Ex-Troy All-American cornerback Marcus Jones transfers to Houston". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  7. ^ Duarte, Joseph (July 19, 2021). "UH's Marcus Jones on Bednarik Award watch list". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  8. ^ Williams, Don (September 3, 2021). "Texas Tech football vs. Houston: How They Match Up". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  9. ^ "Houston hands No. 19 SMU first loss on Marcus Jones' 100-yard kickoff return". The Athletic. October 31, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  10. ^ Duarte, Joseph (December 8, 2021). "Houston's Marcus Jones named Paul Hornung Award winner". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  11. ^ AP All-America team: Young and Tide lead with 3 1st teamers by Ralph D. Russo. AP News, 13 Dec 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  12. ^ "American Announces 2021 Football Award Winners and All-Conference Teams". theamerican.org. December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  13. ^ Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. "Marcus Jones Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  14. ^ "2022 Draft Scout Marcus Jones, Houston NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  15. ^ D'Abate, Mike (April 30, 2022). "New Patriots DB Marcus Jones: 'Controlling the Controllables'". New England Patriots On SI. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  16. ^ "Marcus Jones' punt return TD with 5 seconds left lifts Patriots over Jets". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  17. ^ Leger, Justin (November 20, 2022). "NFL Twitter erupts after Marcus Jones' game-winning TD". NBC Sports Boston. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  18. ^ Kownack, Bobby (November 20, 2022). "Rookie CB Marcus Jones goes 'the distance,' returns punt for Patriots' 14th straight win over Jets". NFL.com. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  19. ^ Reiss, Mike (December 2, 2022). "Marcus Jones scores scintillating 48-yard TD for Patriots against Bills". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  20. ^ Reiss, Mike (December 24, 2022). "Patriots' Marcus Jones intercepts Joe Burrow for 69-yard pick-six". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  21. ^ "Marcus Jones (CB): Bio, News, Stats & more". www.patriots.com. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  22. ^ Callahan, Andrew; Guregian, Karen (January 13, 2023). "Patriots land one player on 2022 AP All-Pro teams, rookie Marcus Jones". Boston Herald. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  23. ^ "2022 NFL All-Rookie Team". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  24. ^ "Patriots Sign QB Will Grier to the 53-man Roster from the Cincinnati Practice Squad; Place DB Marcus Jones on Injured Reserve". Patriots.com. September 22, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  25. ^ "Marcus Jones 2024 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  26. ^ "Patriots 42–13 Panthers (Sep 28, 2025) Game Recap". ESPN. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  27. ^ Alper, Josh (October 1, 2025). "Marcus Jones is the AFC special teams player of the week". NBC Sports. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  28. ^ "Marcus Jones sacks Rattler for huge third-down stop". NFL.com. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  29. ^ Lazar, Evan (October 28, 2025). "Analysis: Patriots Sign CB/PR Marcus Jones to Long-Term Contract Extension". New England Patriots. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  30. ^ Reiss, MIke (October 28, 2025). "Pats agree to extension with top slot CB Jones". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  31. ^ Thomas, Oliver (October 30, 2025). "Patriots' Marcus Jones named AFC Defensive Player of the Month". Pats Pulpit. SB Nation. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
  32. ^ Goss, Nick; Hartwell, Darren; Leger, Justin; Perry, Phil; Curran, Tom E. (December 1, 2025). "Patriots-Giants recap: Marcus Jones' return TD sparks 'MNF' beatdown". NBC Sports Boston. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  33. ^ "Marcus Jones 2025 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  34. ^ Lazar, Evan (January 10, 2026). "Patriots QB Drake Maye and PR Marcus Jones Named Second-Team All-Pros By the Associated Press". New England Patriots. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  35. ^ "Can't-Miss Play: Pick-six alert! Marcus Jones takes Stroud's pass back to the house for TD". NFL.com (video). January 18, 2026. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  36. ^ Reiss, Mike; Bien-Aime, DJ (January 18, 2026). "Patriots hold off Texans in turnover-filled divisional game". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  37. ^ "Super Bowl LX - Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots - February 8th, 2026". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
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