LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- It would be understandable for Velus Jones Jr. to be frustrated, pissed off, or anxious.
His Bears career has gotten off to a rocky start, including several miscues as a punt returner during his rookie season. Jones worked tirelessly in the offseason to get better at tracking and catching punts. But he muffed another punt in the Bears' preseason opener, and the franchise felt compelled to sign veteran wide receiver Trent Taylor as the starting punt returner.
Taylor's arrival puts Jones in an uncertain position entering his second season in Chicago. He's listed as the team's starting kick returner, but it's unclear if he'll be active on game day. The Bears have seven receivers on the 53-man roster, but if Jones' lone value is as a kick returner, he might find himself inactive Sunday for the season opener against the Packers.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
While his early career has been filled with trials and tribulations, the third-round pick is unshaken by adversity.
"Everything happens for a reason," Jones told NBC Sports Chicago in a recent interview. "The only thing you could do is get better? I'm definitely not perfect. I'm far from perfect. But I definitely know my skill set. You know, I believe in myself. And I'm betting on me—every time. I know my abilities.
"Just get better. Nothing doesn't faze me. You only control what you can control. Anything's out of your anything that's out of your hands. It's in God's hands. So, I mean, yeah, that's, you know, come in and go to work.”
Jones is aware of the crowded wide receiver room he currently finds himself in.
The Bears traded for Chase Claypool last November and acquired No. 1 receiver DJ Moore in March. In April, they selected speedy receiver Tyler Scott in the fourth round.
Jones knows he might not have a lot of opportunities at wide receiver, especially early on. That's not a concern for Jones. He's very aware that everyone's NFL path is different. Not everyone explodes immediately. Sometimes, it takes time for that door to open.
"I'm real comfortable -- when it comes to being -- comfortable and confident when it comes to being a receiver," Jones told NBC Sports Chicago. "I mean, I have a lot of traits. I mean, it's no secret. I mean, I'm good with the ball in my hands. Not only am I fast as hell. I'm physical. Big. Weigh what? 212, 210. There's a lot I can do, especially in open space. It's just patience. They brought the number one receiver in with DJ. It’s just, honestly, it’s waiting on an opportunity. When opportunity comes and presents itself, just take advantage of it and run with it.
Jones looks back at NFL history to see star receivers who had to wait for an opportunity. He knows one will come. He can't miss the train as it's leaving the station.
"There's plenty of people, you know, I mean, I wasn't the only one going through something like this," Jones said. "There’s plenty of people in the history of football, they go through a lot of things -- Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers and stuff. They didn't come in and make a splash on the scene. If you want to go receivers, what Antonio Brown was, what, six, seventh-round pick? Everybody’s time is different. Everybody's time is different.
"As long as you don't, you know, stop believing in yourself or start doubting yourself everything's going to work itself out. I know my abilities. I've been playing this game since I was four years old. And I know what I could do, and I get the ball in my hand. So give me an opportunity to represent myself."
BEARS ANALYSIS
Jones' path to an opportunity at wide receiver likely starts with production on special teams. He was one of the NFL's best kick returners last season. But being a good kick returner who struggles catching punts isn't a surefire ticket to a jersey on Sundays.
Jones is very aware that his opportunity might now come Sunday. Or next Sunday. But he knows the way to manifest that opportunity into reality is by never letting off the pedal at practice. Hard work can unlock doors.
That will likely take time. Many people would find themselves anxious while forced to wait for an opportunity with no precise arrival date. It would eat at them and sow doubt. But that's not how Jones is wired.
"It's no worries. I'm not worried about nothing," Jones said. "Like I said, only thing I can do is come here and give my all to the best of my ability. I mean, you know, it's a testimony – it’s my testimony. I'm a vessel. I feel like I definitely know what I can do at receiver. I showed glimpses of it last year. Like I said, the opportunity -- you never know what can happen. We're talking about now, you're talking about now, but you never know what tomorrow has in store, what next week or the week after, and stuff like that. You just got to be prepared and ready for anything. And so, I mean, that's my mindset.
"Like I said nothing is the end of the world, just come in and keep, keep getting better. I'm grinding you know, my work ethic and stuff was not you know, not an issue, not a problem. It's just honestly just, you know, grind until you get where you need to go.”
Jones knows where he needs to go and what will get him there. The only thing he doesn't know is when he'll finally arrive at that destination.
But that uncertainty is no reason to worry. He knows it will come when it's meant to and not a moment before. When it does, he'll be ready. He also knows opportunities are finite, so he can't afford to miss his moment.