Marvin Lewis Jones Jr. (born March 12, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft and has also played for the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football for the California Golden Bears.
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.
Jones attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he played from 2008 to 2011 under Golden Bears head coach Jeff Tedford.
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 7âÂÂ6 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.
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.
In the 2013 season, he had a breakout performance in the team's 49âÂÂ9 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 27âÂÂ10 loss against the San Diego Chargers, Jones set a franchise playoff record with 130 receiving yards on eight catches.
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.
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 24âÂÂ19 victory over the San Diego Chargers, the last team he had played in a meaningful game against (2013âÂÂ14 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' 34âÂÂ21 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 18âÂÂ16 playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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 16âÂÂ15 loss. In the following game, Jones had six receptions for 205 yards and two touchdowns in a 34âÂÂ27 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.
On September 18, 2017, against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, Jones recorded his first touchdown of the season, a 27-yard reception from Matthew Stafford, in the first quarter. In Week 8, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had six receptions for 128 yards in the 20âÂÂ15 loss. In the next game, a 30âÂÂ17 victory over the Green Bay Packers, he had seven receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 12, against the Minnesota Vikings, he had six receptions for 109 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 30âÂÂ23 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.
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.
In Week 3 of the 2019 season against the Philadelphia Eagles, Jones caught six passes for 101 yards and one touchdown as the Lions won 27âÂÂ24. During Week 7 against the Minnesota Vikings, Jones finished the game with 93 receiving yards and four touchdowns as the Lions lost 30âÂÂ42. Jones became the first Lions player with four touchdown receptions in a game since Cloyce Box did so against the Baltimore Colts in 1950. In Week 9 against the Oakland Raiders, Jones caught eight passes for a season high 126 yards and a touchdown in the 31âÂÂ24 loss. In Week 11 against the Dallas Cowboys, Jones caught four passes for 43 yards and two touchdowns in the 35âÂÂ27 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.
In Week 8, Jones scored two receiving touchdowns in the 41âÂÂ21 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. In Week 13, against the Chicago Bears, he had eight receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown in the 34âÂÂ30 victory. In Week 15 against the Tennessee Titans, Jones recorded ten catches for 112 yards and a touchdown 46âÂÂ25 loss. In Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings, Jones recorded eight catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns during the 37âÂÂ35 loss. In the 2020 season, Jones led the team with 76 receptions for 978 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns.
On March 17, 2021, Jones signed a two-year, $12.5 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. 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.
On April 5, 2023, Jones signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Lions. He was released on October 24, after announcing he would be stepping away from the team to deal with personal matters.
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.