FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Patriots CB Marcus Jones was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week by the National Football League for his performance in the Patriots 42-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers last Sunday.
Jones returned a first quarter punt 87 yards for a touchdown and then had a 61-yard return in the second quarter to help position the Patriots for another touchdown. He also had a a19-yard return in the third quarter to set the franchise record with 167 punt return yards. His 55.7-yard punt return average against the Panthers is the highest in a game in team history and the second-best mark in NFL history.
It is the second AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor for Jones. He earned his first honor during his rookie season in 2022 when he returned a fourth quarter punt 84 yards for a touchdown with five seconds to play to lift the Patriots to a 10-3 victory against the New York Jets in Week 11 of the season.
It is the second AFC Special Teams honor for the Patriots this season. Running back Antonio Gibson earned the award in Week 2 when he led the Patriots to a victory over the Miami Dolphins with a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
