New England Patriots - NESN.com
It’s safe to say that, after putting pen to paper on a three-year, $36 million contract extension a couple of days ago, this has been a great week for New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones. On Thursday morning, an already great week got even better for one of the Pats’ top defenders.
Jones has played a big role in helping the Patriots string together five straight wins, which includes posting a perfect 4-0 record during the month of October. And during those four games, it’s safe to say that Jones has played some of the best football of his career.
While Jones is known for being one of the best punt returners in the league, his play on defense as New England’s starting slot cornerback has been hard to miss. In October, Jones had 20 tackles (four of which went for a loss), one interception, eight pass deflections and one sack.
With each passing week, Jones seems to find a way to make big plays for the Patriots on defense. His strong play certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed, and on Thursday, he was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for his strong body of work in October.
Jones earned First Team All-Pro honors as a rookie back in 2022, but that was largely on the back of his work as a punt returner. While Jones has remained one of the most dangerous returners in the game, it’s been hard to ignore just how good he’s been on defense as well.
With Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III working alongside Jones, New England has one of the best cornerback trios in the entire league. Jones and the rest of his teammates will look to keep up their strong play when they take on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9.
