Bears Work Out Rookie Kick Returner After Benching Velus Jones

Getty Bears wide receiver and kick returner Velus Jones Jr.

The Chicago Bears are checking out other options for their kick returner job after benching Velus Jones Jr. from the role during Week 1’s over Tennessee.

According to KPRC-2’s Aaron Wilson, the Bears hosted former New England Patriots rookie wide receiver David Wallis for a roster workout on Tuesday, September 10. He spent training camp with the Patriots competing for a roster spot as a return specialist.

Wallis — who played college ball for Division III Randolph-Macon College — signed as an undrafted rookie with the Patriots in June after a successful minicamp tryout. He then showcased impressive speed in the return game during the preseason, returning seven kicks for 202 yards — including a 53-yard return — and four punts for 47 yards.

Wallis also caught two passes for 16 yards; though, he did so on six total targets.

While Wallis is likely auditioning for a practice-squad role with the Bears, they could be seeking an alternative to Jones on kick returns after the 2023 third-round pick muffed his first — and only — return in Week 1 that the Titans recovered deep in Bears territory. The Bears benched Jones after his fumble, but it is unclear if he will remain benched.

The Bears (1-0) will travel to Houston to take on the Texans (1-0) at 8:20 p.m. Eastern Time on September 15 for Sunday Night Football in Week 2.

Velus Jones Jr. ‘No Concern’ About Losing Return Job

The Bears made a swift decision about their kick returner after Jones fumbled away his first opportunity. Jones had allowed the ball to slip through his hands and accidentally kicked it downfield roughly 20 yards, where the Titans promptly recovered it at the Bears’ 23-yard line. Afterward, the team gave the duties to veteran DeAndre Carter, who only had one chance to field a kick but took his sole return 67 yards.

At the onset of Week 2, though, the Bears have not committed to leaving Jones on the bench. Head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters in Sunday’s postgame that they would evaluate the kick returner job as they moved forward, but he also said he was “proud” of Jones for how he responded in the game when given opportunities to play on offense.

From Jones’ vantage, there is “no concern.” He knows the Bears’ coaching staff believes in him after his strong training camp. He also seems to think his body of work — 38 kicks returned for an average of 27.4 yards in two seasons — speaks for itself.

“It’s no concern,” Jones said after Sunday’s game, via The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. “Obviously, I am a competitor. I know what I bring to the table, and like I said, that was unfortunate. I know the staff believes in me. They’ve seen me return how many kicks? Really, ain’t much to say about that. Definitely, that can’t happen.”

Bears Could Also Want More Depth at Wide Receiver

Wallis is best known for the return capabilities he showed off during the preseason with the Patriots, but the Bears could also be eyeing him as receiving depth with first-round rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze expected to miss time with his knee injury.

Odunze injured his knee in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 27-14 victory over the Titans when Jones and two Titans defenders crashed into the back of him while he was setting a block. While the play initially seemed innocuous, Eberflus confirmed the next day that there was “concern” for Odunze’s injured knee and that he would undergo an MRI.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the “initial belief is” Odunze sustained a Grade 1 knee sprain on the play and will likely miss at least the next few weeks as he recovers. While the news could have been worse, it does leave the Bears shorthanded at the receiver position for however long he is away — which is where Wallis may come in.

If the Bears sign Wallis, they would likely not do so with the intention of promoting him to their game-day roster in Week 2. Rather, the team would sign Wallis to the practice squad and promote one of its current practice-squad wide receivers — Collin Johnson or Samori Toure — to the 53-man roster to ensure more depth at the position.

The Bears are more likely to bump up Johnson than Toure given the former has more experience in the system, but the team may simply make use of its game-day elevations for the time that Odunze is away instead of signing one of them to the 53-man roster.

Either way, an extra pair of hands — both as a pass-catcher and a return specialist — could benefit the Bears as they continue on into the 2024 season.