Patriots Lose Key Playmaker Against Chargers

The New England Patriots have suffered a major injury loss defensively against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (25) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots are set to face off against the Los Angeles Chargers in their second to last game of the season this week. Fans who love Saturday NFL football will be in for a treat.

On Saturday, the Patriots will kick off a triple-header of NFL action. They will kick off against the Chargers at 1:00 p.m. EST.

At this point in time, New England holds a 3-12 record. They are currently projected to end up getting the No. 2 overall pick, although a win either this week or next week would likely bump them down dramatically.

Truthfully, most fans are hoping that the team decides to tank the last two weeks.

Ideally, the Patriots would be able to continue developing young talent without winning football games. Ending up with the No. 2 pick would be a massive step in the right direction for the franchise.

With all of that in mind, New England will be without a staring player defensively this week.

Marcus Jones, one of the Patriots' starting cornerbacks, will miss this week's game due to a hip injury. He missed last week's game for the same reason.

So far this season in 14 games, Jones has racked up 58 total tackles to go along with a fumble recovery, an interception, and 10 defended passes. He is just 26 years old and could be a big part of the future for the team.

Defensively, he has been a big help alongside of Christian Gonzalez in the secondary.

In this week's game, New England will have to figure out how to defend against Justin Herbert and a Los Angeles offensive capable of putting up big numbers. Without Jones, that task will get more difficult.

Jones has another season left on his contract. Whether he returns this season or not from the hip injury, he should be a key piece for the defense once again in 2025.

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