On Monday, continuing their early free agency roster work, the Chicago Bears quietly announced that the club has re-signed free agent defensive back Jaylon Jones to a one-year contract, bringing back depth in the secondary and bolstering the team’s 15th-ranked special teams unit.
On Monday, the Chicago Bears quietly announced that the club has re-signed free agent defensive back Jaylon Jones to a one-year contract, bringing back depth in the secondary and bolstering the team’s 15th-ranked special teams unit. Jones, a versatile cornerback who contributes on defense, has been primarily a special teams ace during his time in Chicago. Jones now returns as the Bears continue shaping their roster ahead of the 2026 season.
Jones was one of six players reaching double digits in special teams tackles for the Bears in 2025, with 12, giving him a total of 31 in his four-year career. The others were team leader Daniel Hardy with 19, followed by Jonathan Owens (15), Elijah Hicks (12), Carl Jones Jr. (11) and Travis Homer (10).
Why Did the Bears Re-Sign Jaylon Jones?
Re-signing a special teams specialist who has made few headlines over the past four seasons may not seem like the most exciting free agent move, at least as far as fans are concerned. Special teams, however, are a key piece of any championship team, which appears to be why the Bears brought back the 28-year-old Jones who first signed with Chicago as an undrafted free agent in 2022 out of Ole Miss.
“Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been hard at work to keep his team in the Super Bowl mix — a trend that continued with another free agency-related move,” wrote Devon Platana of the Bears site Da Windy City on Saturday.
“It’s hard to remember a time when Jones wasn’t helping out the Bears’ special teams unit,” Platana continued. “The 28-year-old veteran has an average of 212 special teams snaps in four seasons with Chicago, compared to 181.8 on defense. Although that isn’t a huge difference, it’s worth noting that he’s played only 115 snaps on the defensive side of the ball in the last two seasons.”
The Bears actually signed Jones on Friday, but the team made the roster move official with a Monday announcement.
Jones Returned to Chicago After Arizona Stint
Jones first became a free agent after the 2024 season, and he capitalized, signing a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals.
But he never made it onto the field in an Arizona uniform. The Cardinals handed Jones his release on Aug. 26 of last year, and the Bears then wasted no time bringing Jones back to Soldier Field, signing him again the next day.
“Last season, Jones’ 12 total special teams stops tied for the third-most by any Chicago special teams contributor, helping the Bears claim an NFC North Division title and reach the NFC Divisional Round,” according to the announcement of his re-signing posted by ChicagoBears.com.
The Bears’ special teams play ranked right in the middle of the pack, according to 2025 season ratings by Sports Illustrated.
But in one key category — field position allowed after kicks — the Bears ranked 13th. A difference of 10 to 15 yards of field position can be worth as much as 0.5 expected points per drive, which may not seem like much. But a typical NFL team will start between 160 to 185 drives with received kickoffs or punts each season, meaning that field position can account for about 80 points, or roughly 11 touchdowns, per season.
Bears Quietly Add 31-Tackle Special Teams Standout in Free Agency