Bengals Player Profile: Charlie Jones has the upper hand, for now, as Cincinnati’s main returner
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver and return specialist Charlie Jones sticking around hinges on him being the best at what he does, and he has competition with the guy who replaced him when he was injured to end last season.
We’re 36 days away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. Each and every day leading up to the end of the preseason and final cuts, we’ll be profiling a player on the Bengals’ 90-man roster. Check out previous player profiles here.
The next name in our series has created exciting plays in his time in Cincy, but needs to create more of them to stay.
Charlie Jones Player Profile
Age: 27
Year: 4th
Position: Wide receiver
College: Purdue
Jersey Number: 15
Charlie Jones was selected with the No. 131 pick in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Bengals. Prior to the NFL, Jones spent six years at the collegiate level (2018-2023), playing one year at Buffalo (2018) before transferring and sitting out a year at Iowa (2019-2021) and then making his way to Purdue (2022). In his lone season with the Boilermakers, he led the country with 110 receptions and produced a Big Ten-leading 1,361 yards with 12 touchdowns to boot. He also returned 121 combined kickoffs and punts during his college days.
Cincinnati crowned Jones its punt returner from the jump, and he produced an 81-yard return for a touchdown in just his second-career game. It was also the club’s first punt return TD in 11 years. His rookie season was then hindered with a thumb injury and he only averaged 7.6 yards per return outside his touchdown. His 2024 season was also impacted by a preseason knee injury and a groin injury that took him out of the final nine games.
Jones played in 14 games in 2025, missing the final three games due to ankle injury. He returned 42 kickoffs for 1084 yards, good for fourth in the NFL, and one TD, as well as 13 punt returns for 115 yards. He didn’t record a single reception in his third season.
Contract details
Jones is entering the last year of his four-year, $4,518,776 rookie contract. His base salary for 2026 is $1,145,000, which is also how much cash he’s earning this season. When adding on his signing bonus proration of $169,694, his salary cap hit for the year is $1,314,694.
Roster outlook
The Bengals saw have five receivers who are either locks or close to it for this year’s roster. I wouldn’t consider Jones one of them. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Andrei Iosivas are the starting trio. Colbie Young is the new fourth-round pick in town. Mitchell Tinsley should be firmly in front of Young due to having a year in the system.
Jones sticking around as the No. 6 hinges on him being the best returner. He has competition with Ke’Shawn Williams, the guy who replaced him when he was injured to end last season.
Williams is the underdog in that battle, but a battle it should still be. Jones simply hasn’t done anything as a receiver to solidify himself in a stacked receiving corps, and injuries haven’t helped. He has the upper hand for now, but if Williams shines returning kicks, a conversation will need to be had.
Roster odds: 65%