Bengals' Charlie Jones: Opens scoring for the Bengals
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Jones returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in Sunday's 21-14 win over the Browns.
Jones received the kickoff on the goal line and blew past defenders, not getting touched until he reached midfield when he was grazed by kicker Dustin Hopkins. Tony Brown and D'Anthony Bell both made attempts to bring him down and nearly pushed him out of bounds, but the Purdue product remained upright and narrowly dove into the end zone while hitting the pylon. It was Jones' first career kick return for a touchdown, although he did return a punt for a touchdown during his rookie campaign.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Light role on offense in Week 6
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Jones didn't draw a target on either of his two snaps on offense and returned a kickoff for 31 yards and three punts for 13 yards in Sunday's 17-7 win over the Giants.
Jones hasn't been targeted since Week 1 and has now played five snaps on offense or fewer in each of the past five games. Though he appears to be an injury or two away from carving out a meaningful role at receiver, Jones' standing as the Bengals' top kickoff and punt returner will allow him to remain active on game days.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Not involved in loss
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Jones failed to record a single target in Sunday's 26-25 loss to the Chiefs.
Jones saw a decrease in playing time in Week 2, seeing the field for just two offensive snaps against the Chiefs after playing eight snaps in Week 1. With just 10 offensive snaps through the Bengals' first two contests, the second-year wideout should remain far off the fantasy radar going forward, especially with teammate Tee Higgins (hamstring) nearing a return to the field. The Bengals host the Commanders in Week 3.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Targeted once against Patriots
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Jones caught his lone target for five yards in Sunday's 16-10 loss to the Patriots.
Jones was minimally involved in the Bengals struggling offense Sunday, playing just eight of Cincinnati's 51 offensive snaps. Buried on the Bengals' receiver depth chart, the second-year wideout should remain far off the fantasy radar when the Bengals visit the Chiefs in Week 2, especially if teammate Tee Higgins (hamstring) returns to the lineup.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Dealing with knee injury
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Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters Saturday that Jones is week-to-week due to a knee injury he sustained during practice Thursday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Jones was carted off the practice field Thursday after banging knees with a defender during drills. He was unable to put weight on his leg following the incident, but it appears he has avoided serious injury for the time being. The 2023 fourth-round pick missed Saturday's 17-14 preseason loss to the Bucs, and he'll look to be available for the Bengals' second preseason contest against the Bears on Aug. 17.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Three catches in finale
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Jones had three catches for 49 yards in the Bengals' regular-season finale win over the Browns. He finished the season with seven catches for 64 yards on nine targets.
Jones made his biggest impact in the season back in Week 2 with a punt-return touchdown against the Ravens. The returner role will most likely be his primary job in 2024 as well, even with potential changes on the Bengals' depth chart at wide receiver.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Limited role on offense
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Jones went without a target while playing one of the Bengals' 73 offensive snaps in Monday's 34-31 overtime win over the Jaguars.
Since being reinstated from injured reserve Week 11 after missing six straight contests with a thumb injury, Jones has logged just six snaps on offense over three games. He'll likely continue to handle a limited role at receiver moving forward, though Jones should be active on a weekly basis due to his duties as the Bengals' punt returner.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Questionable for Thursday
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Jones (thumb) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game at Baltimore.
Jones was a full participant at practice all week, so it would be somewhat surprising not to see him activated from the injured reserve list for Week 11. In the first three games of the season, Jones drew two targets in just three offensive snaps, returning one catch for six yards.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Won't play Week 10
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Jones (thumb) has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Texans, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The Bengals designated Jones to return from IR on Wednesday. Although the team will be without Tee Higgins, (hamstring) plus Ja'Marr Chase (back) is listed as questionable, Jones will wait at least another week before making his return. Cincinnati called up wide receivers Shed Jackson and Stanley Morgan from the practice squad Saturday.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Questionable versus Houston
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Jones (thumb) is questionable for Sunday's Week 10 game against the Texans, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
Jones remains on injured reserve but is eligible to return this week against Houston. With Tee Higgins (hamstring) out, the Bengals could feel more pressure to get Jones active, but Cincinnati should be in decent shape with Ja'Marr Chase (back, questionable), Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin and Andrei Iosivas, as long as Chase does indeed play.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Lands on IR
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The Bengals placed Jones (thumb) on injured reserve Friday.
Jones, who suffered a thumb injury during Monday's win over the Rams, will thus miss at least four games, meaning the earliest he could be back in action is Nov. 5 against the Bills. While the 2023 fourth-round pick out of Purdue has been limited to one catch for six yards in three game to date, his absence represents a hit to the Bengals' special teams, as Jones has been serving as the team's primary punt returner.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Ruled out against Titans
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Jones (thumb) won't play Sunday against the Titans, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.
Jones will be sidelined for the first time in his young NFL career. The rookie wide receiver has just one catch for six yards on two targets through three games, but Jones has provided a spark in the return game, as he took a punt return to the house from 81 yards out in Week 2. With Jones sidelined in Tennessee, Chris Evans or Trayveon Williams will likely return kickoffs, while Trenton Irwin handles punt returns.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Estimated as non-participant
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Jones (thumb) was listed as non-participant for Wednesday's estimated practice, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
Jones had been expected to open Week 4 prep as a limited participant, but he ended up not taking part in the Bengals' walk-through session. The rookie receiver out of Purdue has played just three offensive snaps through the Bengals' first three games but has been an asset on special teams as a punt returner, taking one back 81 yards for a touchdown Week 2.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Working through hand injury
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Jones is expected to be a limited participant in practice Wednesday due to a hand injury, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.
Jones likely suffered the injury in the team's 19-16 win over the Rams on Monday. The severity of the hand injury is still unknown, but Jones' ability to get on the field in some fashion Wednesday is at least a positive sign. The rookie receiver has been limited to one six-yard reception across two targets through his first three games, though he did return a punt for a touchdown in Week 2.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Exits Thursday's practice
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Jones left Thursday's practice on a cart after trainers checked out his left arm, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Conway notes that prior to suffering his injury, Jones hauled in an impressive TD catch during the session. The 2023 fourth-rounder currently slots in behind the Bengals' top WR trio of Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, which caps his short-term fantasy value, but assuming his arm issue isn't serious, Jones is in line to work in a complementary pass-catching role for the team as a rookie.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Added by Cincinnati in fourth round
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The Bengals selected Jones in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 131st overall.
Jones (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) was very productive for Purdue in 2022, but he did very little in the five prior years while transferring from Buffalo, to Iowa, to Purdue. It's great that Jones caught 110 passes for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns last year, but it pointedly still is not impressive for a 24-year-old player, especially one who produced just 718 yards in the prior five seasons. At least Jones tested well at the combine, logging a 4.43-second 40 and 124-inch broad jump. In any case, Jones will begin his pro career behind Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd on the Bengals' wide receiver depth chart.
