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Marcus Jones explains motivation, process that led to new contract with Patriots
“I signed for a reason. I trust what [Vrabel] brings to the table."
Mike Vrabel believes it was a no-brainer for the Patriots to craft a new contract for cornerback Marcus Jones.
“I think he embodies everything that we’re looking for here in a player, in a teammate, on the field, in the community,” the Patriots head coach said Wednesday after Jones signed a three-year extension the previous day. “It’s something that we were excited about doing and glad that he wanted to get that done and be with us moving forward.”
Vrabel’s enthusiasm was echoed by Jones’ teammates, who elected the 27-year-old defensive back as a team captain prior to this season.
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“That’s life changing. That’s something everybody dreams of, playing this game. He deserves it. He deserves everything,” safety Jaylinn Hawkins
said of Jones’ new deal, which can reportedly reach as high as $36 million. “Day in and day out, he works hard. Just who he is as a person. A good teammate, everything he’s done on the field, it’s a no-brainer. I’m happy for him.”
For Jones, who was entering the final year of his rookie contract in New England, the decision to commit to the Patriots was an easy one to make.
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“First off, I was drafted here. I’ve built a lot of connections here, on and off the field,” Jones said Wednesday ahead of practice. “And I love the community out here and being a part of that. And also this organization, ever since I’ve been here, and everything like that, they’ve been valuing me as a captain and being a player on this team.”
Jones said negotiations between him and the Patriots had been ongoing for about a month, adding that he handled contract talks without an agent and dealt directly with Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and vice president of football administration Matt Groh.
While Jones said that he leaned on a few confidants during contract negotiations, he believes both he and the Patriots “met in the middle” when the time came to cross the t’s and dot the i’s on the new deal.
“It was great from the sense of finding the terms that we liked,” Jones said. “So that was great.”
Beyond his ties to New England after the team drafted him out of the University of Houston in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Jones’ commitment to the Patriots was further reinforced by the club’s recent success under Vrabel.
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“I signed for a reason,” Jones went on. “I trust what [Vrabel] brings to the table. And also, how he keeps the standard, the standard. That’s the main thing.”
Jones is in the midst of the best season of his career under Vrabel’s watch.
Through eight games, the slot corner and special-teams ace has recorded two interceptions, nine pass breakups, 36 tackles, six tackles for loss and one sack on defense. He’s also an All-Pro talent when it comes to punt returns — leading the NFL with a 21.6 average yards per return while scoring a touchdown in Week 4 against the Panthers.
While plenty has changed when it comes to the Patriots’ fortunes — and coaching hires — since Jones arrived in Foxborough in 2022, he had some level of familiarity with Vrabel before this season.
And, after signing a new deal on Tuesday, it’s evident that he’s buying into Vrabel’s vision for the team moving forward.
“The main thing is, sometimes the transition for players with new coaches can be hard,” Jones said. “But the first time I met Vrabes, he was at Tennessee. Just the conversations, just talking to him and everything, I knew he was a good guy. So bringing him here was a blessing. And then also, the standard he always ends of up having.”
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