Bear Digest

No Doubt About Status of Velus Jones Jr. as Kick Returner

Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower feels for his former kick returner but too many snafus and DeAndre Carter's presence mean status quo is no longer acceptable.

Gene Chamberlain

DeAndre Carter, whose jersey has since been changed to 11, makes a cut while returning a preseason punt against Kansas City.
DeAndre Carter, whose jersey has since been changed to 11, makes a cut while returning a preseason punt against Kansas City. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
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The days when gaffes by Velus Jones Jr. would simply be overlooked because of manpower shortage are long gone.

As a result, it would be surprising to see him back in his role of returning kicks barring injuries. In fact, injuries could give him a role in this Sunday’s game against Houston but not because he’ll be fielding and returning kicks.

Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said he isn’t sugar-coating a thing regarding what happened Sunday when Jones muffed a kickoff, then kicked the ball forward as he reached down trying to pick it up instead of steadying himself and picking up the ball.  The Tennessee Titans were only too glad to pick up the fumble, kick a field goal and take a 10-0 lead.

“Well the great thing is I’m not very good at sugar-coating. I don’t sugar-coat anything,” Hightower said. “In fact, I just talked to the kid five minutes before I walked in here because we just happened to cross paths.

“But in regards to what happened in the game, it’s unacceptable. We all know that. We value the ball and on that particular play we didn’t and it hurt the football team.”

Hightower said he has made it clear what Jones needed to do to be a contributor again.

“Yeah, I mean, like honestly, as a human being, as a human, I hurt for the kid, I really do,” Hightower said. “But as a coach we have to evaluate all of our options.

“And he knows in the return game No. 1 thing is to take care of the football.”

There have been numerous instances like this in the past. The first two were as punt returner in 2022 when he muffed punts against the Giants and Commanders that proved critical in tight losses. Some of the others involved offense, like dropping a pass in his hands as he lay on the turf in the end zone, wide open, because he fell.

But the kick return job had always been Jones’ because he showed a knack for using his 4.31-second speed and because the other possible challengers either had other pressing jobs on the roster or were inactive. It also didn't hurt that he was a third-round pick by GM Ryan Poles.

Along came DeAndre Carter. The Bears signed the journeyman wide receiver/return man for a minimum type contract, at just over $1 million a year. Carter returned a kick 67 yards to provide a second-quarter spark after Jones’ fumble and stumble. He also averaged 12.8 yards on his five punt returns. When the Bears have been around 9 yards a return, they’ve been happy.

“I mean, DeAndre I thought he did a phenomenal job in the football game,” Hightower said. “He was aggressive. He attacked the football. DeAndre is exactly the type of human being that goes out, just works his tail off.”

It doesn’t hurt having a past with the coordinator.

“I don’t know if you all know this but DeAndre and I have a history because he was with me when we were on the West Coast,” Hightower said.

Hightower became a special teams coordinator for the first time with the 49ers in 2017 when Carter was on the 49ers roster and then the practice squad, then the offseason roster in 2018. Then Carter was released and went to the Eagles.

Hightower said Carter brought this up after signing with the Bears. Carter has signed with 10 teams, and it’s his second stint with the Bears. Undrafted out of Sacramento State, Carter first signed in 2015 with the Baltimore Ravens.

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 “He’s like, ‘Now we’ll really get a chance to do it together,’ do it in a real live setting. So I’m just happy and proud for him, extreme boost. The blockers did a great job for him. He did a great job getting the ball in plus territory, flipping the field for us a couple different times.

“And he’s an unselfish player and he just wanted all of the credit to go to the people that were blocking for him. Selfless human being.”

As for Jones, his ability to contribute on offense could continue this week depending on how the injuries work, because they might need extra help at receiver with both Rome Odunze (knee) and Keenan Allen (heel) missing practice time this week.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain

GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.