Wide receiver Charlie Jones, one of only two Bengals ever to return both a kick and punt for a touchdown, is wondering Tuesday who has the team record for all-time touchdown returns via a punt and kick.
The Who is easy for ‘My Generation.’ Lemar Parrish, the Sultan of the Seventies and the Bengals’ newest Ring of Honor member.
“How many?” asks Jones, a question they were kicking around the other day.
Have to get back to you on that one.
“This year?” Jones is asked. “I want multiple touchdowns.”
That would certainly make things interesting during the season teammates Parrish and Dave Lapham join the ring. Parrish, the only Bengal other than Jones to go all the way with both, has five.
Four punt return touchdowns and a kick return.
That puts Jones in second place with two, tied with many. Mitchell Price, Craig Yeast and Peter “I’m Going To Seal It With a Kiss,” Warrick have two career punt return touchdowns. Tremain Mack and Brandon Wilson have two kick returns for touchdowns.
(Adam “Pacman,” Jones came within three yards. He rocked the Browns for a punt return touchdown a dozen years before This Jones and added a 97-yard kick return two years later that got them to the 3.)
Now, Charlie Jones tries to get at least his third return touchdown in his third season, and the reason he thinks he can get more is because it’s the healthiest he’s been in a star-crossed career since he lugged those 110 catches at Purdue into the fourth round of the 2023 draft.
“I returned a punt my rookie year and played (11) games,” says Jones, who missed five games with a broken thumb. “Then my second year, I return a kick, and I play half the season. I haven’t played a full season. I want to stay healthy and score a few.”
He certainly looked capable from scrimmage after a terrific practice on Monday. Telling everyone it’s the best he’s felt in the pros, he beat speedster cornerback DJ Turner II with a diving grab of a long ball down the sideline (“I was in,”). A few snaps later, Jones disappeared into the wormhole of a Cover Two for another long one.
