Bears second-year wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. has a lot to prove when training camp kicks off in late July.
Jones had a rough rookie season, where he struggled with muffed punts, which cost the team a couple of games. At one point, Jones was even benched for two games after a costly fumble against the Commanders in Week 6.
But Jones rebounded in the final three games, where he returned nine kickoffs for 258 yards, averaging 28.7 yards per return. It was the kind of performance that showed it’s far too soon to give up on Jones.
During the offseason program, Jones has worked with the punt return unit, along with Tyler Scott and Dante Pettis. If Jones is going to carve out a role for himself in 2023, it starts on special teams.
“Yeah, just the experience. Him knowing what to do and how to do it. He’s more consistent that way,” Eberflus said during minicamp. “And his work ethic has always been good. He’s continued to do that. And he’s been working on catching the punts, which is really good. Gonna be a big part for us if he can work that and be consistent going through camp and show he can do that on a full-time basis. So we’re excited about where that is.”
Given the Bears have an influx of talent at receiver, including new additions DJ Moore and Scott, Jones needs to prove he can be a dependable asset on special teams. If he does that, he should have one of those final roster spots locked down and prove to be a potentially dangerous asset as a return specialist.
