Bears rookie receiver, Velus Jones Jr., spoke with Jacob Infante of the Windy City Gridiron recently to discuss his offseason plans.
Amid a relatively unproductive rookie season with the Bears, he spoke about his mentality ahead of his first offseason as a veteran in the league.
“[I] make sure I’m keeping my mental space clear. [I’m going to] really work my tail off this offseason," Jones told Infante. "[I] rest my body for now, but soon, there’ll be time to get back and work. Knowing that I left no doubt this offseason, I’m working on the things that need to be worked on and be ready to rock and roll when camp comes back around.”
Jones, according to Infante, purchased a jugs machine for the offseason, much like Darnell Mooney did during his first offseason. Jones' focus for the summer will be losing defenders at the top of his routes and tracking the ball in the air, according to the report.
As aforementioned, Jones did not turn heads during his rookie season. Expected to have a reputable role in the Bears' offseason as a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, he recorded nine catches for just over 100 yards.
Mainly, he served as the team's kick/punt returner. Yet, two costly muffs from punts during the first and third games of the season cost him his spot as the team's punt returner. On the positive end, he finished as the league's third-best kick returner averaging 27.6 yards per return.
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Jones spent six seasons in college football, spending four years at USC before completing his final two seasons with Tennessee. His mentality was much different back then coming into the league, pointing to hopeful positive trends next season.
“I would say just coming in this league and looking back, it’s mental. You got to have the physicality and the speed...and the rest of is just mental," Jones said.