Bears' Velus Jones: Usage increases late in season
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Jones rushed for a 42-yard touchdown in the Bears' 29-13 loss to the Vikings in Week 18, and ended the season with seven receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown along with nine carries for 103 yards and another touchdown over 12 games played.
Jones was at his best as a kick returner during his rookie season. On offense, he didn't have more than two touches in any game, though he did play more than 15 offensive snaps for the first time all season during Weeks 15 and 16, when he averaged 34 snaps. Although he'll likely remain the team's top kick returner next year, he may also see his role in the offense expand. He's under contract through 2025.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Quiet in losing effort
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Jones rushed once for 13 yards in the Bears' 41-10 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
Jones was also targeted once, though the pass fell incomplete. Aside from his kick-return duties, Jones has just six receptions and eight rushing attempts on the season, and his lack of volume will make him tough to trust in Week 18 fantasy lineups.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Catches long pass
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Jones caught two passes for 52 yards in the Bears' 35-13 loss to the Bills on Sunday.
Jones ran past two defenders, which allowed Justin Fields to catch him in stride for a 44-yard reception while the Bears were trying to make a late comeback. Jones' four targets was his highest total of the season. This was also the first time he had more than 10 receiving yards in a game. Although his performance was impressive, his lack of consistency will make him tough to trust in Week 17 fantasy lineups.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Small role in offense
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Jones rushed once for one yard in the Bears' 28-19 loss to the Packers on Sunday.
Jones' biggest contribution, as usual, was as a kick returner. He returned four kickoffs for 114 yards to go along with his one rushing attempt. On the season, he has five targets and six carries, and aside from leagues that award points for return yardage, his fantasy value is minimal right now.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Handles two rushing attempts
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Jones rushed twice for six yards in the Bears' 31-10 loss to the Jets on Sunday.
Jones has 45 rushing yards and 24 receiving yards this season, and his biggest impact is as a kick returner. Aside from leagues that include kick return yardage, Jones has yet to become a fantasy factor as a receiver.
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Bears' Velus Jones: In line to play Sunday
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Jones (coach's decision) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Falcons.
Jones was sidelined during both of the Bears' last two games due to a coach's decision, but he's now slated to return to action this weekend and serve as Chicago's primary kick and punt returner with Khalil Herbert (hip) landing on injured reserve.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Healthy scratch once again
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Jones (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's matchup against Detroit.
Jones will be a healthy scratch for the second straight week after appearing in five consecutive games. The rookie third-round pick may have a difficult time seeing the field now that the Bears' wideout corps in back to full strength.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Healthy scratch
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Jones (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.
Jones will be inactive for the first time since Week 3, though his absences early in the season were due to injury. He's now lost his role with both N'Keal Harry and new addition Chase Claypool active to take on Miami. Jones' absence is likely to be felt most on special teams, where Khalil Herbert and Trestan Ebner are candidates to take over as return specialists.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Productive as rusher
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Jones caught one pass for five yards and rushed twice for 33 yards In the Bears' 49-29 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday.
Jones had at least 15 yards on each of his rushing attempts, but he just missed out on a big play when Justin Fields slightly overthrew him on a deep pass after the receiver ran past a pair of defenders. With this being his most productive game of the season, the rookie will need to post more consistent production before being a player who can be relied upon in fantasy lineups.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Loses costly fumble
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Jones rushed once for eight yards, caught one pass for 10 yards and lost a fumble on a punt return in the Bears' 12-7 loss to the Commanders on Thursday.
Jones played 12 snaps and had a minor role in the Bears offense. However, his lost fumble on a punt in the fourth quarter gave the Commanders the ball deep in the red zone, which led to Washington scoring the game-winning touchdown. On the season, Jones has been targeted five times, which puts a limit on his upside until his role increases.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Makes NFL debut
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Jones wasn't targeted in the Bears' 20-12 loss to the Giants on Sunday.
Jones did contribute by returning two kickoffs for 44 yards and a pair of punts for 19 yards. He missed part of training camp along with the first three games of the season with a hamstring injury. It's possible he begins to see more work on offense in the near future, but with the Bears averaging fewer than 20 pass attempts per week, there may not be many targets to go around.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Suiting up Sunday
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Jones (hamstring) is active for Sunday's game against the Giants.
Jones got in a full practice Friday for the first time since the season began, and he will suit up Sunday for the first time as a professional. It's unclear what role he will step into, and no team has thrown for fewer yards than the Bears, so don't expect him to do much in his debut. Long-term, though, the third-round rookie could be a factor in Chicago's receiving corps.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Logs limited practice Thursday
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Jones (hamstring) was limited at practice Thursday.
This marks Jones' second time getting on the practice field this season as he attempts to put a hamstring injury behind him. If he's able to maintain or even increase his activity level at Friday's session, he could put himself in a position to make his NFL debut Sunday against the Texans.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Ruled out for Week 2
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Jones (hamstring) won't play in Sunday's game against the Packers.
Jones has been officially ruled out for a second consecutive week. The rookie third-round pick will look to heal up in time to make his NFL debut in Week 3 against Houston.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Doubtful for Week 2
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Jones (hamstring) didn't practice Friday and is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Packers, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.
With the rookie highly likely to miss a second straight game, the Bears again figure to roll with Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis as their top three receivers. It's unclear if Jones will shake that up once he gets healthy, or if he'll merely have a depth role.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Back to no practice
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Jones (hamstring) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice.
After a seeming test run on the field Wednesday, when he was considering limited, Jones may have taken a step back as he tends to a hamstring injury. The rookie third-round pick is seeking his pro debut, but that could be in danger if he logs another DNP to wrap up Week 2 prep.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Unavailable Sunday
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Jones (hamstring) is inactive for Sunday's game against the 49ers.
Jones was limited to one appearance during exhibition season. He otherwise dealt with injuries before and after that showing in preseason Week 2, missing all three practices ahead of the opener due to a hamstring issue. In Jones' stead, Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown, Byron Pringle, Dante Pettis and Ihmir Smith-Marsette will man wide receiver for the Bears.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Dealing with hamstring issue
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Jones was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice due to a hamstring injury.
Jones made just one appearance during exhibition season, otherwise missing time due to undisclosed injuries. The rookie third-round pick made it back to the field Monday, but Wednesday's practice report revealed the nature of his current health concern. Jones has two days to potentially get in some work, at which point the Bears may give him a designation for Sunday's season opener against the 49ers.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Back on practice field
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Jones (undisclosed) practiced Monday as the Bears prepare for their Week 1 game against the 49ers, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.
Jones played in the Bears' second preseason game before sitting out the exhibition finale. If he makes it through the week of practice without a setback, the team's third-round draft choice in this year's draft is expected to be one of the top-three wide receivers for Chicago as they start the season.
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Bears' Velus Jones: Sits out practice
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Jones (undisclosed) missed Tuesday's practice, Courtney Cronin of ESPN reports.
After playing in the Bears' second preseason game against the Seahawks, Jones didn't suit up in the preseason finale against the Browns. With no word on the severity of his injury, he'll have over a week to recover in order to be ready for Week 1 against the 49ers.
