Marvin Lewis Jones Jr. (born March 12, 1990) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft and has also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at California.
High school career
Jones attended Etiwanda High School, in Rancho Cucamonga, California. As a senior, he had 81 receptions for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the Eagles to a share of the Baseline League championship. He is Etiwanda's all-time leading receiver and was a Super Prep magazine All-American.
College career
Jones attended the University of California, Berkeley from 2008 to 2011.
On October 17, 2009, Jones had two receiving touchdowns against UCLA. On December 5, he had his first collegiate game going over the 100-yard mark against Washington. As a sophomore, he recorded 43 receptions for 651 yards and six touchdowns.
On September 17, 2010, Jones had 12 receptions for 161 yards against Nevada. As a junior, he recorded 50 receptions for 765 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Jones started off his senior season strong with five receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns against Fresno State. Two weeks later, against Presbyterian, he had seven receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown. As a senior, he caught 62 passes for 846 yards and three touchdowns for the 7–6 Bears and he was named Honorable Mention All-Pac-12. In his career, Jones started 38 of 43 games, recording 156 receptions for 2,270 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Statistics
Professional career
Cincinnati Bengals
2012
Jones was selected in the fifth round, 166th overall, by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2012 NFL Draft. He saw a limited role in the Bengals offense during his rookie season, starting in five of 11 games and catching 18 passes for 201 receiving yards and one touchdown, which came in Week 17 against the Baltimore Ravens.
2013
In the 2013 season, he had a breakout performance in the team's 49–9 win over the New York Jets in Week 8, catching eight passes for 122 yards and a franchise record four touchdowns. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Jets. He finished the year with 51 receptions for 712 yards and ten touchdowns. In the 2013 season, his receiving yards and touchdown catches both ranked second on the team. In the Bengals 27–10 Wild Card Round loss against the San Diego Chargers, Jones set a franchise playoff record with 130 receiving yards on eight catches.
2014
Ankle and foot injuries kept Jones out of action for the entire 2014 season. He was due to return to the lineup in Week 5, but he re-injured his ankle in practice the week before and, on October 14, he was placed on injured reserve, ending his season.
2015
After missing all of the 2014 season, Jones returned in 2015 and caught 65 passes for 816 yards and four touchdowns. His first score since returning came in Week 2 in a 24–19 victory over the San Diego Chargers, the last team he had played in a meaningful game against (2013–14 playoffs). Four weeks later, Jones set a season-high mark with nine receptions and 95 yards to go along with a touchdown in the Bengals' 34–21 win over the Buffalo Bills.
Jones was held under 40 yards in each of the Bengals' last three games, all without original starting quarterback Andy Dalton. With A. J. McCarron under center, Jones recorded four receptions for 32 yards in Cincinnati's 18–16 Wild Card Round playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Detroit Lions
2016
On March 11, 2016, the Detroit Lions signed Jones to a five-year, $40 million contract. In Week 2, against the Tennessee Titans, he had eight receptions for 118 yards in the 16–15 loss. In the following game, Jones had six receptions for 205 yards and two touchdowns in a 34–27 loss to the Green Bay Packers. In his first year with the Lions, Jones started 15 games, recording 55 catches for 930 yards and four touchdowns.