Velus Jones didn’t return many punts during his extended college career. Perhaps that should’ve been a warning sign to the Chicago Bears that maybe they should’ve held off from putting him there. Sadly they didn’t catch the hint. Two muffed punts later, it’s clear the rookie wasn’t meant for that job. That doesn’t seem to have discouraged head coach Matt Eberflus who remains optimistic about the wide receiver’s future.
The Bears head coach could easily get discouraged after Jones arguably cost the Bears two games against the Giants and Commanders. That isn’t the case. When asked about what he had to say about the young receiver, Eberflus explained. He encouraged Jones to forget about the past. There is nothing he can do about it. The best thing is to focus on what comes next. Not only that, but the coach indicated the team has plans for him in the near future.
“Always look forward and keep moving. I know he’s disappointed in what’s happened, transpired over the last few weeks. There’s nothing we can do about that now. He has to keep his eyes forward, stay positive and we’re going to start getting him more involved as we get going here…
…Velus has got a lot of talent, a lot of things he can bring to the football team, certainly with his speed and athletic ability in space. We’re going to try to utilize that, and we’re going to keep doing that.”
Matt Eberflus knows Jones needs more touches.
Since returning from his hamstring injury, the rookie has only played 15 offensive snaps. He has produced 27 yards on three touches, including a touchdown in that time. It leads one to ask why the Bears kept giving guys like Ihmir Smith-Marsette more opportunities. Now Smith-Marsette is out of the picture. Jones’ snaps have increased each week. With 11 days to prepare for New England, the Bears might feel comfortable getting him more involved in the game plan.
It’s not like Matt Eberflus is operating on a ticking clock. This is his first year as the head coach. Jones is a rookie. Young players are going to make mistakes. His job is to help them work through those issues in order to realize their potential. It is nice to see he isn’t suddenly putting the kid in the proverbial doghouse as many coaches would. He intends to give Jones a chance to work through the issues.
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