One Chicago Bears player is in jeopardy of losing a roster spot after week one
If you watched the Chicago Bears edition of Hard Knocks this summer, you know that Velus Jones Jr. entered the 2024 season right on the roster bubble. We saw him change his position to help his chances of sticking with the team, and we saw the front office discuss whether he was worth keeping or not.
While Jones barely made the roster, his week one performance could push him right off of the roster. His transition to running back can be exciting at times, but we all know that Jones only made the roster because he was the starting kick returner. That changed quickly.
Jones has so much potential as a kick returner, but it has never come to fruition. He always ends up struggling more than helping the team, and his fumble on a kickoff in week one led to the Tennesee Titans taking a 10-0 lead in the game. Jones was benched for DeAndre Carter, who ended up having a strong return later in the game.
Carter is a better receiver and has been trusted to be a better return man so far. Jones had two carries for 11 yards as a running back and had a catch for eight yards out of the backfield. That is a start as a runner, but the reality is that he was running back behind Travis Homer, who is much better in pass protection.
Velus Jones Jr. should already be in jeopardy of losing his roster spot.
Roschon Johnson has also not been healthy, and when he comes back, he should be ahead of Jones, too.
We are starting to get to a point where there is not a role that Jones should be trusted in, or at least not a role where he has better than enough options to stay active on gamedays.
The Bears likely could cut him, watch him clear waivers, and then revert to the practice squad. There, he could spend the season learning the running back position and potentially getting his head in the right spot as a kick returner.
Jones has been a sunk cost since the day he was drafted and the Bears have given him countless chances. He continues to let him down, and the team should make a move.
