FOXBORO, Mass. — Though it quickly became buried beneath the tsunami that was Antonio Brown’s arrival, the New England Patriots made another important transaction this past Saturday, signing slot cornerback Jonathan Jones to a three-year contract extension.
It didn’t take Jones long to prove he was worth the commitment.
The fourth-year pro was excellent in coverage during New England’s season opener Sunday night, allowing three catches on nine targets for 19 yards with two pass breakups in a 33-3 demolition of the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium.
“Just being healthy this year, being able to get out there with my teammates and compete, it feels good to be out there,” Jones said after the game.
The first of those breakups came on a deep ball to Johnny Holton on Pittsburgh’s opening possession. Using 4.28 speed, Jones matched Holton stride for stride, then used his elbow to swat away an underthrown Ben Roethlisberger heave and force a Steelers punt. He also punched a pass away from Diontae Johnson early in the fourth quarter and had another PBU in the end zone wiped away by a defensive holding penalty away from the play.
New England’s defense totaled eight pass breakups and one interception (by safety Devin McCourty) against a Steelers team that converted just 3 of 12 third-down opportunities and didn’t reach Patriots territory until the final two minutes of the first half.
“It’s early (in the) process,” Jones said, “but we’re heading in the right direction as far as communication, everybody being on the same page, guys flying around making plays and trusting each other. We know that everybody’s going to do their job.”
Jones’ extension reportedly will pay him $21 million over three years, including $13 million guaranteed. That represents a massive raise for a player who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and had been playing on a one-year, $3.095 million restricted free agent tender he signed this past spring.
“It feels good just to have that out of the way,” said Jones, who also played nine snaps on special teams. “I enjoy being here. I’m enjoying my time here, and I like everything about the place. So it’s good to have that out of the way and focus on football.”
Jones had a simple explanation for why he likes playing for New England: “We win, and I like the way things are done here.”
