Former Chicago Bears third-round pick Velus Jones has had a rollercoaster career since leaving the Windy City in October 2024. Jones has bounced around the league over the last year and some change, playing for four different teams, including the Seattle Seahawks.
Jones joined the Seahawks’ practice squad towards the end of October after getting waived by the New Orleans Saints. The former Bear didn’t see much time on the active roster with Seattle during the regular season (three games), but it ultimately didn’t matter as the Seahawks found a use for him in the postseason.
The Seahawks put the ex-Bear running back on special teams in the biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl, and he rose to the occasion, much to the surprise of Chicago fans who tuned into the game.
Velus Jones Used His Bears Weakness as a Strength During SB Win
In the second quarter of Super Bowl LX, Jones downed a 40-yard punt from Michael Dickson at the two-yard line, putting the Patriots deep inside their own territory. The former Bear did a good job of tracking the ball in the air and slapping it out of bounds. The Patriots’ offense didn’t move the ball on that possession and had to punt.
Then, in the fourth quarter, after the Patriots scored their first touchdown, the Seahawks were forced to punt. Jones again put New England in a bad position as he downed a 55-yard punt on the Pats’ four-yard line.
Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times threw some shade at Jones as the Seahawks found a way to “maximize” his weakness, holding onto the football. During his tenure with the Bears, Jones had four fumbles and two drops.
Luckily, on punt coverage, the object is not to catch the ball, but rather to down the ball without stepping into the end zone. Had Jones stepped into or allowed the ball to reach the end zone, the Patriots would have enjoyed much better starting field position than they were ultimately forced to work with.
In a game where offense, or scoring in general, was tough to come by, special teams played a huge role. We have to give Jones credit for making two positive plays, rather than two negative ones, which is a step in the right direction moving forward.
Now, Bears fans weren't exactly pleased with Jones in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, as he made some interesting comments regarding his time in Chicago and being cut by the team, which he called “the most relieving thing ever.”
It's been an interesting ride for the former Bear, who has bounced around before seemingly finding a home with the Seahawks. He did what was asked of him by Seattle, and now he’s a Super Bowl champion, which no one saw coming, and it's something no one can take from him.