New England Patriots lose All-Pro to shoulder injury

New England Patriots lose All-Pro to shoulder injury

Injured in the New England Patriots’ 24-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night, cornerback Marcus Jones was placed on injured reserve on Friday.

By NFL rules, Jones must miss at least New England’s next four games. On Friday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Jones “will be out for a while” after he sustained a torn labrum.

MORE NFL:

· WILL BRYCE YOUNG MISS A SECOND GAME BECAUSE OF AN INJURED ANKLE?

· KEN STABLER’S FAMILY FINALLY WILL RECEIVE A RING FROM THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME FOR THE SNAKE

· SUNDAY WIN WOULD GIVE TUA TAGOVAILOA AN NFL RECORD

Before the shoulder injury, Jones had been on the field for 44 defensive snaps, one offensive snap and nine special-teams plays in the Patriots’ two games. He returned three punts for 21 yards, made five tackles and recovered one fumble.

A third-round draft choice from Houston in 2022, Jones made first-team All-Pro and the All-Rookie team as a punt returner as he led the NFL with 362 punt-return yards and an average of 12.5 yards per return (among players with at least 21 punt returns in 2022). He also had one of the NFL’s three punt-return touchdowns during the 2022 season.

On defense last year, Jones played 370 snaps in the New England secondary and intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown.

Jones also scored for the Patriots offense in 2022. Lining up for 18 snaps at wide receiver, he caught four passes for 78 yards and one touchdown.

Jones became the first player in the NFL with an interception, receiving touchdown and punt-return touchdown in the same season since Pro Football Hall of Famer Ollie Matson for the Chicago Cardinals in 1954 and joined Deion Sanders as the only players in NFL history with a receiving touchdown, punt-return touchdown and interception-return touchdown that covered 40 or more yards in their careers.

RELATED: NFL WEEK 3: SCHEDULE, TV, ODDS

At Enterprise High School, Jones earned ASWA first-team All-State honors in 2016, when he intercepted five passes, returned three punts, one kickoff and one fumble recovery for touchdowns and also caught a TD pass.

At Houston in 2021, Jones recorded 47 tackles, intercepted two passes, ran back 15 kickoffs for a 34.0-yard average and two touchdowns, returned 26 punts for a 14.4-yard average and two touchdowns and caught 10 passes for 109 yards and one touchdown.

The Associated Press selected Jones as a first-team All-American cornerback, and he received consensus All-American recognition in the all-purpose/return-specialist slot. Jones’ wide-ranging performance earned the 2021 Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player.

Between Enterprise and Houston, Jones played two seasons at Troy. He was the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year in 2017, when he returned three kickoffs for touchdowns.

The Patriots play the New York Jets at noon CDT Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.