Third-year wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. came into training camp on the bubble to make the Chicago Bears 53-man roster. The 2022 third-round pick, who general manager Ryan Poles values as a 2025 fourth-round pick, did not make the team to stay idle on the sidelines.
The Bears officially list Jones as a wide receiver on their official depth chart. The Bears moved him to running back in the preseason. It’s unclear how the Bears intend to use Jones on offense during the regular season.
However, Jones will revive a task with which he’s had mixed results in his first two seasons in Chicago.
Velus Jones Jr. will return kickoffs this year
Per Kaitlin Sharkey with WGNTV, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower announced Jones will start as the team’s kick returner. The Bears will use DeAndre Carter as their punt returner.
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Jones was one of the league’s better kick returners last season. He returned 16 kickoffs for 435 yards, averaging 27.2 yards per return.
Jones had a fumbling and muff problem in his rookie season. He was used as a healthy scratch in a few games last season and appeared in 14 total games in 2023.
The Chicago Bears don’t want to give up on Jones
Nov 29, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (12) looks on during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears clearly don’t want to give up the speedy Jones, even after he screwed up on kickoff return during this year’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. He has game-changing speed. Unfortunately, he has shown his ability to make game-changing miscues.
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