Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots had a busy day Tuesday. Before making a pair of trades to send Keion White and Kyle Dugger to San Francisco and Pittsburgh, respectively, they also reached a contract extension with one of their team captains: cornerback Marcus Jones received a three-year, $36million extension through 2028.
Let’s assess what the move means for the team.
Marcus Jones’ first three seasons after joining the Patriots as a third-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft were solid. He was a part-time starter on defense and the team’s punt returner, showing a knack or making big plays on defense, special teams and even offense on occasion.
While his offensive contributions have been nonexistent so far in 2025, Jones has managed to take his game to another level. Besides remaining one of the most electric return men in football — he leads the league in average yards per punt return (21.6) and punt return touchdowns (1) — he also has played like a top 3 slot cornerback, and has already matched his single-season career high with two interceptions.
Needless to say, the arrow keeps pointing up for the 27-year-old. This in combination with his contract situation before the extension made locking him up a smart move from the Patriots’ perspective, that ensures long-term stability on defense and special teams as well as in the captains’ room.
Upon arriving in New England, Jones signed a standard four-year rookie contract that was set to run trough the 2025 season. This, in turn, would have made him an unrestricted free agent next spring — and a player who was likely to draw quite a bit of interest had he made it to the open market.
That will no longer happen, meaning that the Patriots have one fewer free agent to worry about. In fact, only six UFAs remain with him off the list: tight end Austin Hooper, offensive linemen Vederian Lowe and Yasir Durant, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson, and safety Jaylinn Hawkins.
Considering that the Patriots once again project to be among the league leaders in salary cap space in 2026, they should be in a position to be competitive for all their services. Simultaneously, they will be keeping the financial flexibility to make other moves such as signing cornerback Christian Gonzalez to an extension as well.
Originally scheduled to enter free agency next. spring, Jones now is one of five cornerbacks on the Patriots’ current payroll signed beyond the 2025 season.
Beyond Jones and fellow starter Carlton Davis, the big name on that list is the aforementioned Christian Gonzalez. One of the...
