Bear Digest

Former Chicago Bears Draft Bust Leaves a Mark on Super Bowl LX

In two-plus seasons Velus Jones did little positive for the Bears but in the first half of the Super Bowl he did something for Seattle that happened in plenty of his Chicago games.
Gene Chamberlain|
Velus Jones Jr., the Bears' third-round pick in 2022, had one standout play in the first half of the Super Bowl.
Velus Jones Jr., the Bears' third-round pick in 2022, had one standout play in the first half of the Super Bowl. | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

Former Bears receiver/running back Velus Jones of the Seahawks made a key play in the first half of the Super Bowl.

He did what Bears fans saw him do numerous times in his two-plus seasons. He had a punted football go off his hand.

Jones, who made a habit of muffing or fumbling on returns with Chicago, actually helped his team by having this ball go off his hand. He was in punt coverage and not returning it. A punt by Michael Dickson bounced toward the end zone near the goal line. Jones stuck his paw out and knocked it out of bounds at the 2-yard line.

The play set the Seahawks up for good field position to drive for their third field goal of the half and a 9-0 lead going into the locker room. New England did get a first down after the downed punt by Jones but nothing more and punted to the Seahawks, who drove to a 41-yard Jason Myers field goal. Myers accounted for all the first-half scoring.

In all honesty, the ball probably would have gone out of bounds anyway. But they gave Jones credit for downing it inside the 3.

Jones is on the Seattle practice squad and was elevated for the Super Bowl, along with running back Cam Akers, for the game.

Any kind of special teams play like Jones' tip out of bounds was big in the first half of a game dominated by defense and field position, particularly Seattle's defense. New England had only four first-half first downs and 51 yards net offense.

Jones spent the week and even earlier in the playoffs trolling Bears fans on Twitter, even though there was a chance his team was going to wind up playing Chicago in the NFC Championship Game. But the Rams won 20-17 in overtime in the divisional playoffs of the Bears to prevent it.

Jones hasn't had much of a career after being drafted in Round 3 by Ryan Poles in 2022. Whether it was muffed punts, stupid penalties on coverage teams or having a kickoff go off his helmet and bounce back to the opposition, he seeme to stumble as a Bear.

Jones made four rushing attempts this year for 32 yards and averaged 22.9 yards for eight kick returns.

He has played briefly for New Orleans and Carolina besides the Seahawks and has made nine total kick returns since being cut by the Bears following the 2024 season opener with Tennessee.

More Chicago Bears News

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter

X: BearsOnSI

Published | Modified
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.