There’s a reason why Drake Maye has deflected every MVP question that has come his way this year. The New England Patriots had several players emerge as game-changers during their 14-3 regular season.
Maye is obviously at the top of the list after setting a franchise record for completion percentage (72.0) and also leading the entire NFL in both yards per attempt and QB rating, but it’s been impossible not to notice the impact of Marcus Jones on the Patriots’ other two phases: defense and special teams.
Jones finished tied for the league in yards per punt return, averaging a career-high 17.3 yards while taking two of his 21 attempts to the house for touchdowns.
He’s also blossoming into one of the NFL’s best nickel corners, posting 65 total tackles, three interceptions (one for a touchdown) and, as Patriots fans saw first-hand in Sunday’s regular season finale — a pair of sacks.
. @Patriots CB Marcus Jones recorded his second career sack when he took down Dolphins QB Quinn Ewers for a 6-yard loss in the third quarter. Jones' 7 tackles for loss in 2025 tie Myles Bryant (2023) for the most in a single season by a Patriots cornerback. pic.twitter.com/06hSJriYl2
— Patriots Communications (@PatriotsComms) January 4, 2026
There’s really nothing on the football field that Jones can’t do, as Patriots fans will always remember his jaw-dropping, 48-yard touchdown reception against the Buffalo Bills back in 2022. But he now has a clearly defined role for head coach Mike Vrabel, whose front office made what now looks like a brilliant decision back in late October.
Marcus Jones now looks like one of the NFL’s biggest steals
As a third-round pick by Bill Belichick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Jones was in the final year of his rookie contract this season.
It didn’t take long for Jones to make an impression on Vrabel, as he was voted as a team captain back in the summer. The team got his extension done on Oct. 28, tying him to the team through the 2028 season with $17.5 million in new guaranteed money.
Jones, who negotiated the deal without an agent, has turned out to be a major bargain at that price, so much so that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see New England do some sort of market correction in the near future.
The Patriots are set to enter the postseason with some franchise cornerstones in place, with Maye at QB, Will Campbell at LT, and Christian Gonzalez at CB. It’s rare for a slot corner / return specialist to be included on such a list, but the 27-year-old Jones is as important as any non-quarterback on the roster.
The decision to get his contract done prior to free agency just keeps looking better by the week.