The Chicago Bears might be adding a new member to their running back room, and it isn't a free-agent signing. Instead, it's Velus Jones Jr., who's spent the first two years of his career as a wide receiver and kick returner.
On Tuesday, he was working out with Bears running backs, both in individual drills and 7-on-7s.
Perhaps this is a last-ditch effort to salvage Jones' playmaking ability. There's no doubt he threatens defenses anytime he has the ball in his hands, but he hasn't seemed comfortable at wide receiver since joining the Chicago Bears as a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
Jones was often described as a wide receiver in a running back's body during his time at Tennessee, and with the NFL's new kickoff rules in 2024, a player like Jones has value on special teams. Maybe the Bears want to find a way to justify his spot on the active roster by transitioning him into a third-down pass-catching back.
Realistically, these could be the last few clips of Jones as a Bear. There's no way GM Ryan Poles will keep him over running backs like Khalil Herbert or Roschon Johnson. Even Travis Homer has more value for the team at the position. The emergence of Collin Johnson may have forced the Bears' hand, too. Johnson is a better wide receiver than Jones, he certainly moved ahead of Jones in the roster pecking order after his Hall of Fame game performance.
That leaves Velus Jones Jr. fighting for his career. If he can flash a few nice runs during the preseason, his NFL dream could live on, even if it isn't with the Bears.
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