Going into the 2025 season, there was a lot of excitement about what the Patriots might accomplish under the new watchful eye of Mike Vrabel, but there was a special interest in the special teams unit after an impressive preseason showing.
A lot of that revolved around the return of special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer, who had a standout first year in New England in 2024. That is why Vrabel chose to keep him on the staff, and although it has taken the group a bit to warm up this year, we finally saw Springer's influence with Marcus Jones' performance against the Panthers.
Not only did the triple-threat player return a punt for a touchdown, but he also almost did it again on the following return, recording 167 return yards for the game and hopefully becoming the official punt returner moving forward.
The Patriots might have finally returned to their dominant special teams production of years past
Jones' performance set a franchise record for the most punt return yards in a single game, solidifying himself in Patriots history for a long time.
.@MarcusJonesocho in the record books ✍️@budlight | #ForTheCelly pic.twitter.com/0PGxwRPHOR
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 30, 2025
It has been too long since New England has had a legitimate return threat in their third unit, and Jones continues to prove he should be the permanent fixture in that role as long as he remains a significant performer.
Since he was drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Patriots have utilized him in various roles, including defense as a cornerback and offense as a wide receiver, as well as an electric returner on the punt team; he has proven to be one of the most valuable parts of the roster.
His latest performance should have Vrabel make him the punt returner from now on, especially since Jones has seen limited usage in the secondary with Christian Gonzalez's return and Carlton Davis III signing with the team in free agency.