Marcus Jones Records 94-Yard Punt Return TD vs Giants: Patriots Star Extends Breakout 2025 Season

New England Patriots cornerback and return specialist Marcus Jones added another electric chapter to his breakout 2025 season on Monday night, turning a routine punt into a game-breaking moment and further cementing his status as one of the NFL’s most dangerous special-teamers.

In the first quarter of the Patriots’ Monday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants on December 1, Jones fielded a Jamie Gillan punt and sliced through coverage for a 94-yard punt return touchdown, pushing New England to a 10–0 lead and sending Gillette Stadium into a frenzy.

The return was Jones’ third career punt-return touchdown and his second non-offensive score in as many weeks, after he notched a pick-six against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 23. By reaching 75 career punt returns, Jones now qualifies for the NFL’s official record book, and he entered the game carrying a league-best 13.6-yard career punt return average, a figure that underscores just how consistently explosive he has been with the ball in his hands.

Monday’s highlight wasn’t an isolated flash. Earlier this season, Jones ripped off an 87- to 88-yard punt return touchdown in a Week 4 rout of the Carolina Panthers, part of a performance that set a Patriots record for single-game punt return yardage and earned him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Add in his Week 7 interception against the Tennessee Titans, and Jones has become a rare three-phase threat: a starting cornerback, an All-Pro level returner, and an occasional offensive weapon.

The Patriots have responded accordingly. In late October, New England locked in Jones with a three-year, $36 million contract extension that keeps him under team control through the 2028 season, a clear signal that the franchise views him as a foundational piece of its post–Bill Belichick era. He followed that deal by being named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for October and, more recently, by earning the team’s nomination for the 2025 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, reflecting both his on-field impact and his reputation in the locker room.

At just 27, Jones is tracking toward one of the league’s most compelling hybrid résumés. For Patriots fans, his latest prime-time return is more than another viral clip—it’s evidence that New England’s new era has a bona fide star to build around, and that opponents will have to account for Marcus Jones every time the ball is in the air.