The Chicago Bears are the best running team in the NFL. It is the identity of their offense. While Justin Fields gets most of the credit, second-year back Khalil Herbert has become a vital component. Through the first ten games, he was averaging 6.0 yards per carry. Now he’s forced to the sideline with a hip injury, putting him out for the next four games. That puts the team in a predicament. While they still have David Montgomery, they lack a more explosive element to pair with him. Their only option at the moment is rookie Trestan Ebner.
The 6th round pick hasn’t shown much in his limited opportunities, averaging 2.5 yards per carry. That might compel Matt Eberflus and the coaching staff to at least consider alternatives. Maybe sign an outside veteran or elevate Darrynton Evans from the practice squad. However, another possibility might be circulating Halas Hall—moving Velus Jones to running back. The rookie wide receiver was demoted two weeks ago in favor of the now-healthy Byron Pringle and newly-arrived Chase Claypool. While his contributions in the passing game haven’t materialized, there is no question he’s dangerous with the ball in his hands. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune spoke to Luke Getsy about it. The offensive coordinator didn’t dismiss the idea.
Jones himself seems more than open to it as well.
“We’re going to look at as many different ways as possible to fill that void,” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said. “Nothing will necessarily replace Khalil. He’s done such a nice job for us. We’re looking at a bunch of different things.”
Jones played a little running back at Saraland (Ala.) High School before becoming a receiver at USC and then Tennessee.
“A lot of teams liked to bracket me as a receiver,” Jones said. “(Coach) would put me in the backfield just to get the ball in my hands. I can do many different things. We’ll see if they have some of that in mind to add to the playbook.”
Jones can offer some of what Khalil Herbert left behind.
While he may not have the pure feel for running the football, Jones has repeatedly proven he can be lethal with the ball in his hands. It’s a big reason why he was such a successful kick returner at Tennessee. Give him a little space to work and his speed and acceleration will do the rest. People also ignore how strong he is. For a receiver, he’s pretty good at breaking tackles. Many people have already called for the Bears to give him a look at running back. This presents the ideal opportunity to experiment.
If nothing else, his threat will force defenses to respect him. That should give Fields more opportunities to create big plays with his legs. The Atlanta Falcons’ defense hasn’t been overly effective this year on the ground. Putting Jones on that fast dome turf feels like a no-brainer. The trick is finding the right times to get him touches. Much of that depends on the flow of the game. No doubt the Bears are hoping to keep their momentum going after four straight weeks of 29 points or more. Not having Khalil Herbert makes that tough. Jones is eager to show he can help.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
