Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. made his rookie debut against the Seahawks, where fans caught a glimpse of the kind of playmaker he can be for Chicago.
Buy Bears TicketsWhile Jones didn’t get many opportunities on offense — he had just one catch for 4 yards — it was what he was able to do on special teams that really stood out.
The Bears are going to try and get the ball in Jones’ hands as often as possible, as evidenced by a couple of plays in the return game. The biggest came on his second punt return of the game, when he fielded a punt at Chicago’s 19-yard line. Then Jones turned up his 4.3 speed and was able to elude tacklers before being brought down for a 48-yard punt return. The return led to the Bears’ first touchdown of the game.
“When I grabbed the ball, there was a guy on the punt team who was in front of me,” Jones said. “But I saw a crease by the sideline. It’s just a natural feeling when you get back there. So I made my cut, I just wiggled through, found the gaps and the spaces.”
Jones got a look at both kickoff and punt returns, which also included a 31-yard kickoff return. Jones’ speed and playmaking ability was undeniable in the limited sample size we got.
“He’s fast, for sure,” said coach Matt Eberflus. “He’s explosive. It’s a challenge for him because he’s a rookie and he’s going to have to come in there and show guys what he can do. I think he’s up for the challenge.”
Obviously the Bears want Jones to have the same impact on offense, and that’s likely to come. But Bears fans know all too well the impact of a playmaker in the return game.
