Eagles P Jones announces retirement

Philadelphia Eagles punter Donnie Jones announced his retirement after 14 NFL seasons, the team announced Tuesday.

Jones is credited with making the lone punt of Super Bowl LII, a game that set many offensive records -- including 1,151 total yards -- and resulted in the Eagles posting a 41-33 win over the New England Patriots.

The 37-year-old drilled a 41-yard punt in the second quarter of that Feb. 4 contest, which will go down as the final one of his career.

"After 14 seasons in the NFL, I have decided to retire so that I can spend more time with my family," Jones said in a statement. "I am grateful for all those who have supported me throughout the years. Specifically, I would like to thank Jeffrey Lurie (owner), Howie Roseman (executive vice president of football operations), Doug Pederson (coach) and the entire Eagles organization for allowing me to be a part of their family for the past five seasons. I will truly miss my teammates, coaches, friends and the best fans in the NFL.

"Although I am retiring, I will always be an Eagle and will forever have a special place in my heart for the city of Philadelphia. It is a great honor to be a part of the first Super Bowl championship team in Eagles history and there is no better way to finish my career."

Jones began his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft. After one year in the Pacific Northwest, Jones spent two seasons with the Miami Dolphins, five more with the then-St. Louis Rams and one with the Houston Texans.

He played in every game with the Eagles over the last five seasons, retiring as Philadelphia's all-time leader in gross (45.37) and net punting average (40.5) and punts inside the 20 (138). Jones is also the franchise's single-season leader in punts inside the 20 (34, 2014) and net punting average (41.6).

"We want to congratulate Donnie Jones on reaching the pinnacle of his career and retiring as a Super Bowl champion," the team said in a statement. "Donnie is a professional in every sense of the word and we wish him all the best in retirement.

"We owe much of our recent special teams success to Donnie, as evidenced by the numerous franchise punting records he set during his five-year run with the Eagles. We will miss Donnie's ability on the field, but will also miss his enthusiastic personality and the daily commitment he made to engaging with our community and our fan base."