3 Bears Starters Who Already Need To Be Benched
The Chicago Bears won their first game of the season. The defense and special teams saved the day and brought much hope and optimism to the team's victory. There were many bright spots, yet there were a lot of players who struggled to contribute, especially on offense. Many mistakes occurred, but several halftime adjustments allowed the Bears to return and secure a victory in the season opener.
The Bears play the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football, so there is no room for mistakes. The Texans will take advantage of every opportunity. To prevent them from taking advantage of any errors, here are three starters the Bears must replace before Sunday night.
1. Velus Jones Jr., WR
The biggest and yet the least surprising disappointment was once again Velus Jones Jr. To properly utilize his skills, the Bears have tried to find a position for him. He has struggled at returning punts. That didn't pan out. Then he moved to kickoff returns. That took an absolute turn for the worst. In the season opener, he fumbled a kickoff return. It was a costly turnover.
Velus Jones Jr.
— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) September 8, 2024
HOW?! pic.twitter.com/yPH6P9BaIp
Luckily, the defense saved the day and it only cost the Bears three points. It's time to end the Velus Jones experiment. The potential has been there with the speed and athleticism.
However, he has made too many mistakes. The best route to go is to replace Jones. One of the biggest mistakes in general manager Ryan Poles' tenure has been the selection of Jones Jr. Poles selected him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. It would be best to relieve the headache and cut your losses.
The question is, how should the Bears approach it? Well, via Hard Knocks, the Bears did receive a trade offer for Velus Jones Jr, but Poles was hesitant because he wanted a high mid-round draft pick.
On the last episode of Hard Knocks, a conversation between Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus centered on a team inquiring about Velus Jones Jr. via a trade. Isn’t clear what was being offered but Poles said that he would “never go below a fourth.”
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) September 4, 2024
Jones was a 2022 third round pick.
If you are the Bears, you will take whatever you can to get Jones Jr. off the team. The Bears should be willing to accept a sixth or seventh-round pick for him. Re-coup some of those late-round draft picks you traded away to improve the defensive line depth.
DeAndre Carter has done a phenomenal job and is an ideal player to take on both punt and kickoff returns. Carter is already a huge contributor and has provided an excellent field position for a young quarterback and a struggling offense.