Bears' Velus Jones 'can’t wait to remind people' of what he can do on offense

Two years after Velus Jones became the first offensive player drafted by Bears general manager Ryan Poles, he’s ready to contribute more on that side of the ball.

“It’s in me,” he said Thursday. “It’s not on me, it’s in me.”

In two seasons, the former third-round selection has caught just 11 passes for 127 yards and has run 17 times for 154 yards. The player the Bears first envisioned as being a weapon on offense — “There’s something about him,” Poles said on draft night in 2022 — has been mostly a gadget player.

Making an impact on offense has only gotten tougher for Jones. After starting his career playing alongside journeyman receivers, he’s now behind Keenan Allen, an eight-time Pro Bowl player; DJ Moore, who is coming off his best season; and No. 9 overall pick Rome Odunze. Tyler Scott, a fourth-round pick in 2023, had almost five times as many targets last year as Jones did.

Jones, who once shared a USC receivers room with future NFL stars Michael Pittman, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Drake London, isn’t worried.

“My film speaks,” said Jones, who is already 27. “If you watch my college highlights (and) the positive things I did with the Bears with the ball in my hands … I feel like I’m still that same player. When I get the ball in my hands, I’m special, especially. I feel like there’s not many DBs that can tackle someone of my size and speed.”

The 6-foot, 200-pounder figures to get plenty of chances this preseason, considering the Bears are likely to limit Allen and Moore’s snaps.

“I can’t just wait for this preseason to get the ball in my hands to run past some guys, run through some guys, and let my natural abilities take over, like they always do,” he said. “I feel like it can be easy to forget what a player can do when you don’t see it … I can’t wait to remind people.”

Jones dealt with injuries and ball security issues in each of his first two training camps.

“That’s the past,” he said. “The thing about film is you can watch film from the past, but they can’t judge about now and how I progressed and how hard I’ve been working.

“It doesn’t matter what anybody has to say about you. They’re not the one putting in the extra work … it’s all about you vs. you.”

His fumbling of a punt in a preseason game last year prompted the Bears to add Trent Taylor on cutdown day. Veteran DeAndre Carter has the inside track to return punts this year.

Jones, though, remains one of the elite kick returners in the NFL.

In the past two seasons, only one player with at least 25 kickoff returns has averaged more yards than Jones: the Packers’ Keisean Nixon, who was named an all-pro in both 2022 and 2023. Nixon averages 27.6 yards per kickoff return, while Jones averages 27.4.

The Bears believe the NFL’s new kickoff return will only make Jones more dangerous.

"I just think with a player with his size — 6 foot, 200-plus pounds — that can run a 4.31(-second 40-yard dash, they don’t make guys like that every day," special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said.

Awarding the ball at the 30-yard line on a touchback that reaches the end zone should incentivize teams to kick to Jones, who grew tired of watching the ball sail into the end zone last year.

“You feel useless, just sitting back there and watching touchbacks,” Jones said.

The new blocking setup — in which 10 members of the kick coverage team will line up at the opposing 40, five yards from blockers — will look different. Jones is ready for it.

“It’s definitely good news,” he said.” It increases my value, what I bring.

“I’ve been special at this for a while now. It’s a huge reason why I’m here in the first place.”