Marcus Jones was ready for prime time.
The Patriots’ electrifying rookie accomplished much in 2022, not the least of which was joining Deion Sanders as the only players with a receiving touchdown, a punt return touchdown, and an interception return for a touchdown in the last 45 years.
Sanders accomplished that hat trick over the course of a 14-year Hall of Fame career. Jones did it over the course of a couple of weeks.
Jones carried a lot on his 5-foot-8-inch, 175-pound frame, playing cornerback, wide receiver, and earning All-Pro honors as a punt returner.
“Marcus, bro,’’ linebacker Matthew Judon said with a slight shake of his head shortly after Jones’s pick-6 on Bengals quarterback Burrow on Christmas Eve.