7 Bears Playing for Their Jobs in the Hall of Fame Game

4. Velus Jones Jr. / 5. Dante Pettis / 6. DeAndre Carter

One of the starting position battles going on this preseason for the Bears is at kick returner, and there's three candidates who could jump ahead of the pack with a big play in the HOF Game.

First is the incumbent Velus Jones Jr., whose contributions as a wide receiver (11 receptions) have been virtually non-existent over the first two years of his career. Instead, he's mostly been the primary return man for Chicago, but inefficiency and troubles with ball security have made the Bears ponder other options heading into 2024.

The returning Dante Pettis is one possible replacement for Jones. He's flashed playmaking (984 receiving yards, 12 touchdowns) as a supporting receiver throughout his career, which could lend itself to the return game. But after missing the entire 2023 campaign due to injury and having his own history of fumbling, he's far from a lock to unseat Jones yet.

Newcomer DeAndre Carter could be an exciting solution. He's not only a more-than-capable WR3-4, as evidenced by his 534 yards and three TDs in 2022, but he's been entrusted to return kicks by every team he's suited up for since 2018. Carter even racked up a whopping 909 kickoff return yards for the Washington Commanders in 2021, including a 101-yard return he took all the way to the endzone.

In a game featuring backups and guys who may never make the NFL, there should be no shortage of return opportunities Thursday night. That means plenty of chances for one of this trio to make a statement.