Bear Necessities: STC Richard Hightower hasn’t lost confidence in Velus Jones Jr.

Velus Jones Jr. had a costly muffed punt in his Bears debut, but the confidence hasn’t wavered heading into Sunday’s game vs. Vikings.

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Bears rookie Velus Jones Jr. made his NFL debut last week against the Giants, after missing the first three games with a hamstring injury. Jones played exclusively on special teams as a kickoff and punt returner.

Jones showed his speed and playmaking ability returning kicks, but there was one play that left a lasting impact. With 2:13 minutes left in the game (and the Bears trailing 20-12), Jones muffed a punt that the Giants recovered. It ultimately sealed the win for New York.

Despite that critical error, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower has confidence in Jones moving forward.

“I haven’t lost any confidence in Velus,” Hightower said. “I’m glad no one ever gave up on me the first mistake I made. That’s how guys get better. You’ve got to give him chances, you’ve got to give him opportunities, and he’s a special player. Nobody feels worse about that play than Velus does, so he’s right back out there. He’s ready to go.”

Jones will continue to return kickoffs and punts heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Vikings, and it sounds like he’s ready to make up for his costly mistake in his NFL debut.

“I think when, we are talking about V12, Velus, he is so confident, super confident,” Hightower said. “So that, I mean he was already talking about the next opportunity that he was going to get after that happened. Obviously, he didn’t feel great about that. He’s a confident person and we have all the confidence in the world in him. I can’t wait to see him return it again.”