Marvin Lewis Jones Jr. (born March 12, 1990) is an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

. He was selected by the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

in the fifth round of the

2012 NFL draft The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...

and has also played for the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

and

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Early life

Jones attended

Etiwanda High School Etiwanda High School is a public high school in Rancho Cucamonga, California, United States. It is one of the twelve schools of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District and serves students in the Etiwanda community on the northeast side of R ...

, in

Rancho Cucamonga, California Rancho Cucamonga ( ) is a city located just south of the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest in San Bernardino County, California, United States. About east of Downtown Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga is the List ...

. 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 The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

from 2008 to 2011 under head coach

Jeff Tedford Jeffrey Raye Tedford (born November 2, 1961) is an American football coach and former player. From 2002 to 2012, Tedford was the head football coach for the California Golden Bears, where he was twice named Pac-10 Coach of the Year and holds ...

. On October 17, 2009, Jones had two receiving touchdowns against

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

. On December 5, he had his first collegiate game going over the 100-yard mark against

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. 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 Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

. 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 California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers 60 ba ...

. Two weeks later, against

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

, 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 A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

College statistics

Professional career

Cincinnati Bengals

2012

Jones was selected in the fifth round, 166th overall, by the

in the

. 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 The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

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 A wild card (also wildcard or wild-card and also known as an at-large berth or at-large bid) is an invitation to a tournament or a playoff berth awarded to a team or individual that does not qualify via an automatic bid. In some events, wildcards ...

loss against the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...

, 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

, 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 The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

. Jones was held under 40 yards in each of the Bengals' last three games, all without original starting quarterback

Andy Dalton Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American professional football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "the Red Rifle", he played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, wher ...

. With A. J. McCarron under center, Jones recorded four receptions for 32 yards in Cincinnati's 18–16

playoff loss to the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

Detroit Lions (first stint)

2016

On March 11, 2016, the

signed Jones to a five-year, $40 million contract. In Week 2, against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

, 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 The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

. In his first year with the Lions, Jones started 15 games, recording 55 catches for 930 yards and four touchdowns.

2017

On September 18, 2017, against the New York Giants on ''

Monday Night Football ''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...

'', Jones recorded his first touchdown of the season, a 27-yard reception from

Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georg ...

, in the first quarter. In Week 8, against the

, he had six receptions for 128 yards in the 20–15 loss. In the next game, a 30–17 victory over the

, he had seven receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 12, against the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

, he had six receptions for 109 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 30–23 loss. He finished the 2017 season with 61 receptions for a career-high 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns. He led the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

2018

In 2018, Jones played in nine games before suffering a knee injury in Week 10. He missed the next two games before being placed on injured reserve on November 26, 2018. He finished the season with 35 catches for 508 yards and five touchdowns.

2019

In Week 3 of the 2019 season against the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

, Jones caught six passes for 101 yards and one touchdown as the Lions won 27–24. During Week 7 against the

, Jones finished the game with 93 receiving yards and four touchdowns as the Lions lost 30–42. Jones became the first Lions player with four touchdown receptions in a game since

Cloyce Box Cloyce Kennedy Box (August 24, 1923 – October 27, 1993) was an American professional football player and businessman. He played five years in the National Football League (NFL) with the Detroit Lions, was a member of NFL championship team ...

did so against the

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

. In Week 9 against the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...

, Jones caught eight passes for a season high 126 yards and a touchdown in the 31–24 loss. In Week 11 against the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

, Jones caught four passes for 43 yards and two touchdowns in the 35–27 loss. On December 10, 2019, he was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. He finished the season with 62 catches for 779 yards and nine touchdowns through 13 games and 11 starts.

2020

In Week 8, Jones scored two receiving touchdowns in the 41–21 loss to the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

. In Week 13, against the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

, he had eight receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown in the 34–30 victory. In Week 15 against the

, Jones recorded ten catches for 112 yards and a touchdown 46–25 loss. In Week 17 against the

, Jones recorded eight catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns during the 37–35 loss. In the 2020 season, Jones led the team with 76 receptions for 978 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns.

Jacksonville Jaguars

On March 17, 2021, Jones signed a two-year, $12.5 million contract with the

. In 2021, Jones was the Jaguars leading receiver with 73 catches for 832 yards and four touchdowns. In the 2022 season, Jones recorded 46 receptions for 529 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. He scored a receiving touchdown in the Jaguars'

victory over the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...

Detroit Lions (second stint)

On April 5, 2023, Jones signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Lions. He was released on October 24, 2023, after announcing he would be stepping away from the team to deal with personal matters.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Personal life

Jones is married to Jazmyn Jones. They have six children together, Marvin III, Mareon, Murrell, Mya, Marlo, and Mila. Jones' youngest son, Marlo, died on December 27, 2019, at six months old.

References

External links

California Golden Bears bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Marvin 1990 births Living people American football wide receivers California Golden Bears football players Cincinnati Bengals players Detroit Lions players Jacksonville Jaguars players Players of American football from Fontana, California American Idol participants Etiwanda High School alumni