Velus Jones Just Called His Shot For The Vikings Game
Velus Jones didn’t have the debut he wanted last week against the New York Giants. He spent most of the afternoon relegated to kick and punt return duties. Things were going fine until he muffed a punt late in the 4th quarter. New York recovered, drained the clock, and left with a 20-12 win. It was a brutal Welcome To The NFL moment for the rookie receiver. Yet from how he’s talking this week, nobody would ever think that happened to Jones.
Alex Shapiro of NBC Sports Chicago caught up with the young receiver on Friday. The rookie was in good spirits. Part of the reason was his preparation during the week. Jones has missed several practices over the past month recovering from a hamstring issue. Now he feels like he’s finally got his feet under him.
“I feel like this was my best (week of) practice since I’ve been here,” said Jones Jr. “I’ve been dialed in making sure I’m executing everything from special teams all the way to offense. Pretty good week so I’m just looking forward to Sunday.”
It gets better.
Jones seems confident this will be the week Bears coaches will get him involved in the offense. He not only predicts making his first NFL catch in Minnesota against the Vikings, but he even went so far as to call his shot.
“I’m gonna do anything I can to get into the endzone. Yes, indeed. Whatever it takes. If somebody’s in my way, they better move because they’re gonna get run over.”
Jones Jr. is big into previsualization before he takes the field, so of course he’s thought about his first career catch. And of course it’s a touchdown.
“I feel like open field, yards after catch in the open field, I’m breaking. Or I feel like red zone, somebody’s in my way and I run through them.”
That would be a great way for the Bears to set the tone for such an important game. They have high hopes for Jones after drafting him in the 3rd round. If he can become a big contributor in the passing game, it might open things up for others.
Velus Jones isn’t a stranger to being doubted.
He’s overcome them for most of his football career. His run at USC saw him get few opportunities as a receiver. So he opted to transfer to Tennessee. After another year of limited opportunities, he finally broke out in 2021. If he weren’t already 24 years old, it’s a safe bet he would’ve been a top-50 draft pick. His speed, quickness, and ability to run after the catch are all things NFL teams covet. GM Ryan Poles wasn’t concerned about the age. He saw a player that could make immediate contributions to his team.
The Bears need a spark at wide receiver. Nobody outside of Darnell Mooney has made much of an impact. Dante Pettis had an ugly drop against the Giants last week. Equanimeous St. Brown isn’t bad but hasn’t done much. Velus Jones has the sort of big play ability they’ve been missing. It is a matter of whether Justin Fields can get him the ball. If he does, the receiver seems determined to house it.