CHICAGO -- Hours before Justin Fields dazzled the masses at Soldier Field with a historic performance in the Bears' 35-32 loss to the Miami Dolphins, head coach Matt Eberflus raised eyebrows with one roster decision.
Rookie wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. was a healthy scratch.
With new acquisition Chase Claypool making his NFL debut, Jones' already limited offensive snaps were likely going to take a hit. That, coupled with needs elsewhere, led to the Bears' third-round pick watching Sunday's game in sweatpants.
"It was about special teams," Eberflus said after the Bears' loss. "We looked at our roster, our cover teams and we thought we needed to have other guys up for our cover teams. With Dante Pettis doing a good job with the punt returns, we thought this week that that was the right thing for us to do, and also, based on the receiver position, we thought it was the best thing to do."
Jones played just 15 offensive snaps in the Bears' Week 8 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He lost his job as punt returner after muffs in Week 4 and Week 6.
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Wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said Thursday that Jones is improving his route running, but the Bears still want to see more consistency in practice from the rookie.
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With Claypool now in the fold and Byron Pringle expected to return soon, Jones will have to work even harder to earn playing time on Sundays.