Charlie Jones

Cincinnati's 2023 fourth-round pick, Jones took over as the team's primary punt returner while serving as a reserve WR in his rookie season ... Scored first career TD on an 81-yard PR against Baltimore in Week 2, and finished the year with 23 returns for 248 yards (10.8 average) ... He spent six games on Reserve/Injured list due to a thumb injury, but returned to play in each of the final eight contests ... Spent his final collegiate season in 2022 at Purdue University, where he led the FBS in receptions (110), while ranking second in receiving yards (1361) and fifth in receiving TDs (12) ... Transferred to Purdue after two seasons at the University of Iowa (2020-21), and one year at the University of Buffalo ('18) ... Named the Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year in 2021 while at Iowa.

Cincinnati's 2023 fourth-round pick, Jones took over as the team's primary punt returner while serving as a reserve WR in his rookie season ... Scored first career TD on an 81-yard PR against Baltimore in Week 2, and finished the year with 23 returns for 248 yards (10.8 average) ... He spent six games on Reserve/Injured list due to a thumb injury, but returned to play in each of the final eight contests ... Spent his final collegiate season in 2022 at Purdue University, where he led the FBS in receptions (110), while ranking second in receiving yards (1361) and fifth in receiving TDs (12) ... Transferred to Purdue after two seasons at the University of Iowa (2020-21), and one year at the University of Buffalo ('18) ... Named the Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year in 2021 while at Iowa.

Career transactions:

Selected by Cincinnati in fourth round of 2023 NFL Draft (131st overall) ... Signed by Bengals on 5-12-23.

Pro career:

2023—Played in 11 games as a rookie ... Spent six games on Reserve/Injured list due to thumb injury ... Caught seven passes for 64 yards ... Returned 23 punts for 248 yards (10.8 average) and one TD ... Made NFL debut on Sept. 10 at Cleveland, returning three punts for 24 yards ... Scored first career TD and Bengals' first TD of the season on an 81-yard PR on Sept. 17 vs. Baltimore, tying the game 7-7 in the second quarter ... Play marked the Bengals' first TD on a PR since 2012 (CB Adam Jones); it also was the 10th TD on a PR by a Bengals rookie in team history, and the first since 2000 (WR Peter Warrick) ... Registered first career catch for six yards on Sept. 25 vs. L.A. Rams, and had four PRs for 45 yards ... Missed Games 4-9 (thumb) ... Returned to action on Nov. 16 at Baltimore, returning three punts for 24 yards ... Caught two passes for 10 yards on Dec. 16 vs. Minnesota, including seven-yarder during game-tying TD drive in fourth quarter ... Posted career highs in receptions (three) and receiving yards (49) in season finale vs. Cleveland, with a 35-yarder to convert a third down during first-quarter TD drive.

College:

Spent final collegiate season at Purdue (2022), after two years at Iowa ('20-21) and one at Buffalo ('18) ... Sat out 2019 season as a transfer ... Played in 49 career games with 24 starts at WR ... For his career, caught 149 passes for 2079 yards and 18 TDs, while rushing for 49 yards on 11 carries ... Also returned 77 punts for 622 yards and one TD, and had 45 KORs for 1002 yards and a TD ... Named AP second-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten in lone season at Purdue, when he led the FBS in receptions (110), ranked second in receiving yards (1361) and fifth in receiving TDs (12) ... Set Purdue single-season records for receiving yards and 100-yard receiving games (eight) ... Named the Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year and was first-team all-conference in 2021 at Iowa, when he returned 37 punts for 285 yards (7.7 average), and had 25 KORs for 635 yards (25.4) and one TD.

High school/personal:

Hometown is Deerfield, Ill. ... Attended Deerfield High School, where he earned all-conference honors as a junior and senior ... Scored 14 total TDs in his career ... Averaged 18.2 yards per reception and 6.2 yards per carry ... Averaged 25.3 yards per KOR.

Last Updated July 2024