Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. is among the notable players on the roster bubble this summer, and he didn’t help his chances during Saturday’s preseason opener against the Titans.
Jones muffed his first punt return of the preseason at the start of the second quarter, which gave Tennessee the ball on Chicago’s 25-yard line. Luckily, Bears safety A.J. Thomas came away with an interception in the end zone to keep it from being costly.
Muffed punts continue to be a problem for Jones. After muffing a punt in his first preseason action last year, it was an issue that lingered into the regular season, which eventually forced him off punt returns for the duration of the season.
While Jones has been clean fielding punts during training camp, he didn’t make a good first impression in his first live action of the summer. Jones admitted he has to “make a stronger play.”
‘‘It’s all about awareness, being smart,’’ Jones said, via the Sun-Times. ‘‘All week, all camp, I’ve been doing a good job catching them, feeling them out, even when we practice in the stadium. I’ve just gotta make a smarter play, even though I’ve got that competitive edge in me and stuff like that. Really proving it to myself and not everybody else.’’
It’s something that could spell the end of his tenure with the Bears — in a crowded receiver room — although Jones doesn’t “care about any outside noise” and believes the Bears’ brass “know what I’m capable of” on the field.
‘‘I showed glimpses last year and stuff, not getting too much playing time,’’ Jones said. ‘‘Getting in enough and getting my feet wet just a little bit. I know what I’m capable of, and I’m definitely a unique player on this team.’’
Jones has two more preseason games to prove he can be an overall valuable asset on this team, which includes being a reliable contributor on special teams.
