Jay Gruden wasn't even sure that Marvin Jones would play

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones is the newest superstar in the NFL. At least for now. Jones has scored touchdowns in each of his past three games, including a four-touchdown effort against the New York Jets. The performance set a franchise record with most touchdowns in a game and it's the most in the NFL (during a single game) since Randy Moss and Terrell Owens did it in 2007.

Yet he's doing all of this with a shoulder injury that he sustained last week against the Detroit Lions. It's been causing him enough problems that Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden wasn't sure that Jones would even play this Sunday against the Jets, writes Bengals.com.

When Gruden showed up Sunday, he didn't know if Jones was going to play. When he saw Jones in warmups, Gruden wasn't sure that Jones should go and he told wide receivers coach James Urban, "Let's keep an eye on him. He's a little banged up."

"I didn't know if he was going to play," Gruden said of his talk with receivers coach James Urban. "I told James, 'Let's keep an eye on him. He's a little banged up.' But I really think he was all right."

But it's the toughness that's most impressive, allowing him to absorb the pain and fight through the injury. Though A.J. Green wasn't really that impressed; he just expects it out of Jones.

"Marv comes out to play every week; every week he goes out with a chip on his shoulder," Green said via Bengals.com. "It's good for a young guy to have that mentality. He's banged up, but that's one guy who's going to fight no matter what. He's not going to miss a game."

Prior to Monday Night Football, Jones is currently tied for fifth in the NFL with seven touchdowns.