The Oakland Raiders signed cornerback Taiwan Jones to a three-year contract extension, the team announced Monday.
The extension is worth $4.355 million and puts Jones under contract through the 2017 season, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Jones is primarily a special-teams player, and the extension makes Jones one of the league’s highest-paid special team performers, according to the report.
Jones became an important part of the Raiders’ special teams in 2013 after moving from running back to cornerback last summer. He has never started a game in his three seasons in the NFL, but he averaged 24.0 yards on kick returns in 2013.
“I was excited when they came to me about the extension. It is definitely a blessing for a local kid to be part of the Raiders’ turnaround,” Jones, who is from Antioch, Calif., said in a statement. “I’ve been an underdog all my life, so I think it’s very fitting for me to remain here. I’m definitely excited about it.”