The New England Patriots are rewarding one of their cornerbacks. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are closing in on a contract extension with Jonathan Jones. At the time of writing, exact figures of the deal are yet to be known.
Though not a household name, Jones has turned into a solid contributor for the Patriots after the team plucked him from the undrafted market in 2016 out of Auburn. He first made a name for himself in Foxborough for his special teams prowess — which will win Bill Belichick over 10/10 times — then matured into a role as the team's best slot cornerback.
In 2018, Jones played all 16 games, starting five, and recorded 56 combined tackles, seven pass deflections, and three interceptions. He, alongside Keion Crossen, played a major role in limiting Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill in the AFC Championship game.
On Jones, Belichick noted during training camp that he's a good football player that brings versatility to the team.
Article Continues Below“He’s a good player. He does a really good job,” he said of Jones, per AL.com's Mark Inabinett. “Of course, he’s versatile. He does a lot of things. Smart, very competitive, tough. I’m glad we have him. He’s a good football player.”
The Patriots appear to now have that good football player locked up for the foreseeable future.
Jones will play alongside Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, and Jason McCourty in 2019 to make for one of the NFL's deepest cornerback groups. He'll also be vying to earn his third Super Bowl win in his fourth season since going undrafted.