The former Chicago Bears draft bust Velus Jones Jr. had himself a roller coaster of an October. After wearing out his welcome in New Orleans after five appearances, Jones was waived two weeks ago, but was brought back to the practice squad immediately after. Despite not being elevated to the active roster for the past two games, Jones may be in line for a big role in the offense after the latest injury news with the Saints.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Saints RB Kendre Miller tore his ACL in Week 7 and will miss the remainder of the season. While this is obviously a devastating blow for a 1-6 team that is in desperate need for more playmaking, it presents an opportunity for the former Bear.
Velus Jones Jr. May Get a Big Opportunity with the Saints
Even though Jones is technically on the practice squad, one look at the Saints' depth chart on their official website shows that he is listed as RB3 behind Miller and Alvin Kamara. With Miller now sidelined, that makes Jones the second rusher in the pecking order behind Kamara.
With rookie Devin Neal as the only RB on the active roster, Jones should have a chance at getting signed to the active roster since he is the only rusher on the practice squad. Obviously, the Saints could sign a RB in free agency, but the 28-year-old Jones will likely get some chances, at least in the immediate.
Despite getting signed in the offseason as a running back, Jones has yet to carry the ball for the Saints, as he has exclusively been used as a return man. In eight kickoff returns, Jones averaged 22.9 yards. Since it was Miller who took over from him in recent weeks, Jones may be taking those duties back with Miller sidelined.
Before the season, Jones claimed to be the fastest player on the Saints, leaving plenty of fans in Chicago scratching their heads. His struggles with the Bears, however, had little do to with his speed. He had two costly muffs as a punt returner as a rookie, as well as three fumbles on offense. For a player who only touched the ball 16 times, that is an unacceptable number.
To accommodate Jones, the Bears converted him to a running back before the 2024 season, but that didn't help him much. When he muffed a kickoff and kicked it towards the Titans for a turnover in the season opener, that signaled the end of Jones' time in Chicago.
So far, he hasn't shown much to demonstrate that he is a different player since leaving Chicago. The Saints will have to hope that is the case, but Bears fans will only believe it when they see it.