Charlie Jones

Cincinnati's 2023 fourth-round draft pick, Jones serves as the team's primary kickoff and punt returner while also contributing as a reserve WR ... Holds career averages of 9.4 yards per punt return on 37 attempts, and 40.0 per KOR on five attempts ... Has scored a TD on both punt and kick return, with an 81-yard PR to end the zone in Week 2 of his 2023 rookie season against Baltimore, and a 100-yard KOR on the opening kickoff of Week 7 of '24 at Cleveland ... He also has eight career receptions for 69 yards and two carries for 13 yards ... Saw action in the first eight games of the 2024 campaign, before suffering a groin injury that kept him out of the final nine contests ... Spent final collegiate season in 2022 at Purdue University, where he led the FBS in receptions (110), ranked second in receiving yards (1361) and fifth in receiving TDs (12).

Cincinnati's 2023 fourth-round draft pick, Jones serves as the team's primary kickoff and punt returner while also contributing as a reserve WR ... Holds career averages of 9.4 yards per punt return on 37 attempts, and 40.0 per KOR on five attempts ... Has scored a TD on both punt and kick return, with an 81-yard PR to end the zone in Week 2 of his 2023 rookie season against Baltimore, and a 100-yard KOR on the opening kickoff of Week 7 of '24 at Cleveland ... He also has eight career receptions for 69 yards and two carries for 13 yards ... Saw action in the first eight games of the 2024 campaign, before suffering a groin injury that kept him out of the final nine contests ... Spent final collegiate season in 2022 at Purdue University, where he led the FBS in receptions (110), ranked second in receiving yards (1361) and fifth in receiving TDs (12).

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 (Games 4-9) 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; play marked Bengals' first TD on a PR since 2012 (CB Adam Jones), and also was 10th TD on a PR by a rookie in team history (first since 2000) ... Registered first career catch for six yards on Sept. 25 vs. L.A. Rams, and had four PRs for 45 yards ... 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.

2024—Played in first eight games ... Inactive for final nine games due to groin injury ... Caught one pass for five yards ... Returned 14 punts for 99 yards (7.1 average) ... Returned five kickoff for 200 yards (40.0) ... Had a 14-yard PR and 31-yard KOR on Oct. 13 at N.Y. Giants ... Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 7, after returning opening kickoff 100 yards for a TD on Oct. 20 at Cleveland; play marked second TD on an opening kickoff in team history ... Returned two kicks for 42 yards on Oct. 27 vs. Philadelphia, including 37-yarder before halftime.

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) ... 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, 6.2 yards per carry, and 25.3 yards per kickoff return.

Last Updated July 2025