Patriots cornerback/returner Marcus Jones will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, multiple assistant coaches confirmed Tuesday.
“It’s unfortunate,” cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino said, as transcribed by NESN.com. “We’d love to have him this year, but (it’s a) different plan, different path for him this year. He’ll grow from it. The experience isn’t a good one, but he’s a mentally tough guy. He’ll push through it, he’ll come back stronger.”
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Patriots wide receivers/returners coach Troy Brown also said Jones will miss the rest of the year. The 25-year-old hurt his shoulder against the Dolphins in Week 2, reportedly suffering a torn labrum.
As a rookie last season, Jones earned All-Pro honors as a punt returner. He saw increasing snaps on defense late in the year, but made his mark on special teams. Jones scored a game-winning touchdown with five seconds left in the Patriots’ 10-3 win over the Jets last November.
Defensively, he tallied 39 tackles, seven pass breakups, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. The Pats also used him as a receiver on 18 offensive snaps, including a 48-yard touchdown he scored during a home loss against Buffalo. Jones became the first player in the Super Bowl era to score on a reception, interception and return in the same season.
This year, Jones finished with five tackles and a fumble recovery. He also returned three punts, with his longest return covering 21 yards against the Eagles in the season opener.
In his place, the Patriots have used rookie receiver Demario Douglas, who ripped off a 25-yard return last Sunday, and veteran defensive backs Myles Bryant and Jabrill Peppers. Bryant has also helped offset Jones’ absence on defense, where he was expected to play nickelback. At corner, the Pats also lost first-round rookie Christian Gonzalez and played most of their first seven games without Jonathan Jones or Jack Jones.
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