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Bears waive Velus Jones Jr.: NFL world reacts

alyssa barbieri, bears wire
·4 min read

The Chicago Bears made a couple of notable roster moves ahead of Sunday's big showdown against the Washington Commanders, parting ways with running back/receiver/return specialist Velus Jones Jr. and fullback Khari Blasingame.

But Jones is certainly the most notable of the two moves considering he's a former third-round pick by general manager Ryan Poles in his first NFL draft in 2022. Jones never really caught on with the Bears, be it at wide receiver or running back (which he converted to this summer) or even return specialist. His fumbling issues, both on kickoffs and punts, proved to be his downfall.

After muffing his first kickoff in the season opener against the Tennesee Titans, Jones was benched and was a subsequent healthy scratch in the ensuing weeks. Poles has been a great general manager during his three years with the Bears, but he does have some blemishes, including Chase Claypool and Jones.

During "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears," it was revealed that Poles received a trade offer for Jones, but he wasn't willing to part with anything less than a third-round pick. Now, any team can get Jones for free.

Meanwhile, Blasingame essentially lost his job to offensive lineman Doug Kramer, who's carved out a role at fullback for short-yardage runs with D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. The two moves have opened up spots on the 53-man roster, an indication the team could be activating a couple of players off injured reserve shortly.

Jones hasn't been a fan favorite since his arrival in 2022, and there's been plenty of reaction from X (formerly Twitter) about him being waived.

NFL social media reacts to Velus Jones being waived

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears waive Velus Jones Jr.: NFL world reacts