Pats Pulpit
Five months before the start of the NFL’s 2026 free agency period, the New England Patriots were able to keep one of their top performers this season off the open market. Cornerback Marcus Jones was retained on a three-year contract extension through 2028 at a total value of $36 million.
The deal makes Jones one of the highest paid slot cornerbacks in the league, and allows the Patriots to keep some stability both in their secondary and their punt return game. It furthermore makes for a reasonable investment: even at its financial peak in 2028, the deal will barely make Jones one of the top-15 CBs in football in terms of salary cap hit (and that is before several other high-money contracts are given out across the league).
A look at the structure of Jones’ new pact, as reported and broken down by salary cap expert Miguel Benzan, reveals its team-friendly nature.
2025 (age 26-27):
Base salary: $1,410,948
Signing bonus: $2,500,000 (fully guaranteed)
Signing bonus (2022 deal): $236,264 (fully guaranteed)
Signing bonus/2026 workout bonus: $57,500 (fully guaranteed)
Workout bonus (2022 deal): $8,820
Salary cap hit: $4,213,532
2026 (age 27-28):
Base salary: $2,750,000 (fully guaranteed)
Signing bonus: $2,500,000 (fully guaranteed)
Signing bonus/2026 workout bonus: $57,500 (fully guaranteed)
Roster bonus: $1,020,000
Salary cap hit: $6,327,500
2027 (age 28-29):
Base salary: $9,250,000 ($3.5M guaranteed + $4.5M injury guarantee)
Signing bonus: $2,500,000 (fully guaranteed)
Signing bonus/2026 workout bonus: $57,500 (fully guaranteed)
Roster bonus: $1,020,000
Workout bonus: $230,000
Salary cap hit: $13,057,500
2028 (age 29-30):
Base salary: $10,250,000
Signing bonus: $2,500,000 (fully guaranteed)
Signing bonus/2026 workout bonus: $57,500 (fully guaranteed)
Roster bonus: $1,020,000
Workout bonus: $230,000
Salary cap hit: $14,057,500
Even though Jones’ extension covers the 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons, the Patriots’ 2025 salary cap will also feel its impact. The $10 million signing bonus he received, after all, is prorated over the entire length of the pact including the current season; the same is true for his fully-guaranteed 2026 workout bonus, which is treated like a signing bonus and therefore also spread out.
While that means that the Patriots will have a combined $2.6 million on their books through 2028 regardless, the overall investment and structure of the pact means gives New England some flexibility while simultaneously keeping the cost relatively low. Sure, cap numbers of over $13 million and $14 million in 2027 and 2028 seem sizable, we have to remember that the cap itself is expected to keep increasing as well.
Regardless of league-wide cap development, the extension will likely keep Jones on the Patriots’ roster until at least 2027.
