Two Houston Cougars Playing Key Role In NFL Conference Championship Weekend
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It’s another special NFL Playoffs weekend with both the AFC and NFC Championships on Sunday, and there will be former Houston Cougars in both games.
The ultimate dream for all college football players looking to go to the next level is to play in meaningful games at the NFL level, specifically the playoffs and the Super Bowl.
There are two former Houston Cougars football players that will be in a conference championship game, with an opportunity to make it to the big game. Here’s how the action went down in the divisional round for these Coogs.
Houston Cougars in the NFL Playoffs
Marcus Jones, Cornerback
The New England Patriots found a star in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft with Jones, the cornerback and punt returner out of Houston. Jones has proven at the highest level why he was a former Paul Hornung Award winner as the most versatile player in the country in his senior year with the Cougars.
The two-time AP All-Pro was one of the heroes for the Patriots in their AFC Divisional round matchup in Foxborough against the Houston Texans. Down 10-7 in the second quarter, Texans quarterback CJ Stroud throws a pass up in the air in a desperation heave and it was intercepted by Jones, who then returned it 26 yards to the house for the go-ahead pick six.
It gave New England a lead they would never give up. This was the first interception return touchdown by a Patriots player in the playoff game since Asante Samuel 20 years ago. Jones is now the second player in NFL history to have to pick sixes and two punt return touchdowns in the same season. Jones also leads the NFL with six non-offensive touchdowns since he made his NFL debut in 2022.
Jones also returned four punts for 53 yards, including a 24-yard return in the third quarter. It wasn’t so much luck for Tank Dell and Ajani Carter’s team as the Texans were eliminated. Both players were injured and not available.
Jones will play a key role for the Patriots in the AFC Championship.
Josh Jones, Offensive Tackle
Jones started the last three games of the regular season for the Seattle Seahawks, but was inactive in the NFC Divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers due to a knee injury. He is currently questionable for the NFC Championship against the LA Rams.
He played 258 total offensive snaps for the Seahawks so far. A third-round pick in 2020 by the Arizona Cardinals, Jones is currently in his sixth season in the NFL. The 28-year-old stands at a massive 6-foot-7 and 339 pounds. He was an all-conference selection in his last season with Houston in 2019 and allowed only 1 sack all year. Jones was also on the Outland Trophy watchlist.
Jones is in his first season in Seattle after spending last year with the Baltimore Ravens. After three seasons in the desert with the Cardinals, Jones was traded to the Texans in 2023. He has since been signed as a free agent twice.
Luck wasn’t so good for former Coogs defensive lineman Ed Oliver, whose Buffalo Bills lost in overtime to the Broncos. Oliver made his return after tearing his bicep in October. He played 16 snaps. Case Keenum is currently an inactive backup quarterback with the Chicago Bears, but his team lost in OT to the Rams.
The Jones duo will be the Houston Cougars in the conference championships.
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.