Jacoby Jones, Ravens’ Super Bowl star and All-Pro returner, dies at 40
Jacoby Jones, the former NFL receiver and kick returner who helped the Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII with the longest play in the game’s history, has died at the age of 40.
The Ravens confirmed Jones’ death in a statement. A cause of death was not shared.
“Jacoby had the unique ability to connect with everyone he encountered,” the team said in a statement. “His charisma, joy and love created a one-of-a-kind presence that could light up any room or brighten any dark day. Jacoby will long be remembered not just for his success on the football field, but for the lasting personal connections he made with countless people in the Ravens organization, Baltimore community and every area he called home. We share our deepest condolences with Jacoby’s family as we all begin to process this devastating loss.”
Jones, who turned 40 on Thursday, spent nine seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Houston Texans and Ravens. His most famous moment came with Baltimore in the 2013 Super Bowl, when his 108-yard kickoff return touchdown to begin the second half broke the record for longest play in Super Bowl history — and helped propel the Ravens to a 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Jones, who also caught a touchdown pass in the game, was named an All-Pro returner after that season.
A New Orleans native, Jones broke into the NFL with the Texans after Houston selected him in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Lane College, a Division II school in Jackson, Tenn. He spent the first five years of his career in Houston, totaling 127 receptions for 1,741 yards and 11 touchdowns and scoring four return touchdowns.
After the Texans released Jones, he signed a two-year deal with Baltimore in 2012 and shined as a returner en route to his first career Pro Bowl nod. In Week 6 of the 2012 season, he tied an NFL record for the longest kick return with a 108-yard touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. Four weeks later, he returned a kickoff 105 yards for another touchdown, becoming the first player to return two kicks for 105 yards or more in a season.
Jones also returned a punt for a touchdown in Week 11 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His five total return touchdowns as a Raven rank second in franchise history.
As a receiver, Jones’ most memorable play came in the AFC divisional-round game against the Denver Broncos in 2013. With less than a minute to play in the fourth quarter, Jones and Joe Flacco connected on a thrilling 70-yard touchdown to tie the game and force overtime on a play later dubbed the “Mile High Miracle.”
“There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t (get reminded of it),” Jones told The Athletic in 2023 about the famous play. “If I see a Ravens fan, they’ll look at me and point and just say, “Mile High.” They don’t care about the Super Bowl. They’ll be like, “Mile High.”
The Ravens went on to win in double overtime to fuel their Super Bowl run.
“I loved Jacoby Jones,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. “We all did. His spirit, enthusiasm and love for people were powerful. He was a light.”
