New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots ended up having a surprisingly busy day on Tuesday. While they ended up trading away Keion White and Kyle Dugger, one player whom they committed to for the long-term future was cornerback Marcus Jones.
A third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Jones appears to be one of the few picks former head coach Bill Belichick hit on during his final few years in charge of the team. In his first season playing for Mike Vrabel, Jones is in the process of putting together arguably the best year of his young career.
Through eight games, Jones has 36 tackles, two interceptions, nine pass deflections, one sack and six tackles for a loss. He’s also been one of the best punt returners in the league, as he’s leading the league with 21.6 yards per return and one touchdown.
As the team’s top slot cornerback, Jones has had a nose for making big plays this season, and it earned him a three-year, $36 million contract extension on Tuesday. After news of the deal came out, Jones shared a simple one-emoji reaction in a post on X.
Considering how Jones is in the final year of his contract with the Patriots, this takes one item off the team’s to-do list ahead of the upcoming offseason. With Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III manning the boundary cornerback positions, New England has one of the best cornerback trios in the league.
Jones has blossomed into a key piece of Vrabel’s game plan on both defense and special teams, and he will look to continue to prove his worth for the team now that he has a shiny new deal. Jones and the Pats will be back in action in Week 9 when they take on the Atlanta Falcons at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.
