Tag: Velus Jones Jr.

Carolina Panthers 2025 free agents

With the 2024 regular season now over, let’s take a look at the Panthers’ upcoming free agents:

The Carolina Panthers wrapped up their 2024 campaign with a 48-38 win, walking off the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Week 18.

But which players might have taken their final snap with the Panthers on Sunday?

As we enter Carolina’s offseason, here are the team’s 2025 free agents:

  • QB Andy Dalton
  • RB Raheem Blackshear (RFA)
  • RB Mike Boone
  • RB Velus Jones Jr. (RFA)
  • WR David Moore
  • WR Deven Thompkins
  • WR Dan Chisena (RFA)
  • TE Tommy Tremble
  • TE Ian Thomas
  • TE Feleipe Franks (RFA)
  • TE Stephen Sullivan
  • OL Brady Christensen
  • OL Cade Mays (RFA)
  • C Austin Corbett
  • DL LaBryan Ray (ERFA)
  • DL DeShawn Williams
  • DL Raequan Williams (ERFA)
  • OLB Cam Gill
  • ILB Shaq Thompson
  • ILB Chandler Wooten (RFA)
  • CB Mike Jackson
  • CB Caleb Farley
  • CB Lonnie Johnson Jr.
  • S Xavier Woods
  • S Jordan Fuller
  • S Sam Franklin Jr.
  • S Nick Scott
  • K Eddy Piñeiro
  • P Johnny Hekker
  • LS JJ Jansen

*RFA = Restricted free agent
*ERFA = Exclusive rights free agent

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Panthers Week 18 inactives: G Robert Hunt’s season-long streak to end

Panthers G Robert Hunt has played in every one of Carolina’s 967 offensive snaps this season. But that streak will end today.

Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn won’t be finishing his first Pro Bowl campaign on the field.

Horn, who was ruled out of this afternoon’s regular-season finale against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday due to a hip injury, is one of seven inactive players for the Panthers here in Week 18. The fourth-year defender also missed last week’s 48-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Panthers will also be without starting inside linebacker Josey Jewell (concussion) for a second straight outing.

In somewhat of a surprise, the offense won’t have starting right guard Robert Hunt in the lineup for the first time this season. Hunt, who has played every offensive snap (967) for Carolina, was listed as questionable with a knee injury entering the weekend.

Second-year lineman Chandler Zavala will get the start in Hunt’s place.

Here’s the full list of inactives for the Panthers today:

  • CB Jaycee Horn
  • G Robert Hunt
  • ILB Josey Jewell
  • S Lonnie Johnson Jr.
  • RB Velus Jones Jr.
  • QB Jack Plummer (emergency QB)
  • WR Deven Thompkins

And for the host Falcons:

  • ILB JD Bertrand
  • DL Brandon Dorlus
  • CB Kevin King
  • WR Darnell Mooney
  • OT Brandon Parker
  • OL Elijah Wilkinson

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Panthers Week 16 inactives: WR Jalen Coker active vs. Cardinals

As expected, rookie WR Jalen Coker is up for the Panthers’ matchup against the Cardinals.

At least the Carolina Panthers will have one of their standout rookie receivers for today’s Week 16 outing.

Wideout Jalen Coker, who was listed as questionable for this afternoon’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, is active. The 23-year-old was limited in practice on Friday due to his lingering quadriceps injury.

Coker is coming off a career-high 110 receiving yards from last week’s 30-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. His impressive day was highlighted by an 83-yard touchdown reception, which now accounts as the longest play of the 2024 campaign for the Carolina offense.

He won’t be joined on the field by fellow rookie Xavier Legette, who has already been ruled out with a hip injury. The first-round pick is set to miss the first game of his NFL career.

The Panthers will also be without their starting center Cade Mays, who was added to the injury report this morning with an illness. Brady Christensen will get the start in his place.

Here’s the full list of inactives for Carolina:

  • CB Shemar Bartholomew
  • CB Akayleb Evans
  • S Jordan Fuller
  • RB Velus Jones Jr.
  • WR Xavier Legette
  • C Cade Mays
  • OL Brandon Walton

And for Arizona:

  • RB Trey Benson
  • OL Paris Johnson Jr.
  • OL Christian Jones
  • S Jammie Robinson
  • TE Travis Vokolek
  • WR Xavier Weaver
  • LB Mack Wilson Jr.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales is asked about team’s plans for RB Velus Jones Jr.

Panthers HC Dave Canales believes Velus Jones Jr.’s transition from wide receiver to running back is a challenging one.

Now we know what the Carolina Panthers are classifying the newly-acquired Velus Jones Jr. as.

On Tuesday, the team signed Jones Jr. from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad to their active roster. The former third-round pick of the Chicago Bears entered the league as a wide receiver, but has been working from the running back position since the start of the 2024 season.

But where are the Panthers looking to play him?

Well, Jones Jr. has officially been listed as a running back by Carolina.

So, head coach Dave Canales was asked about working through the positional transition for the speedy weapon.

“Yeah, it’s a challenge,” Canales replied. “And I think it’s an opportunity to have a really talented athlete—six-feet, 200 [pounds], can run like crazy, he’s got some return value, all those things.

“But there’s a lot that goes into the running back position. You gotta respect the amount of pass protection things that go into it, coming over from receiver to running back. So that’s one of the biggest challenges.

“And then you don’t just hand the ball off and run these runs. There’s a way to run it. And fortunately, he’s got Chuba [Hubbard] to look at, and he’s got Mike Boone to look at, Raheem [Blackshear], who’s day-to-day—these guys have had familiarity. But, we’ll have to bring him on and see if he can help us in some way, shape or form.”

The Panthers placed rookie running back Jonathon Brooks, who re-tore the ACL in his right knee, on injured reserve yesterday. They’re also currently dealing with a chest injury to Raheem Blackshear, one of five non-participants from today’s practice session.

As of this week, it seems the Panthers plan on calling up the veteran Boone from the practice squad to back up their lead rusher in Hubbard.

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Panthers’ updated roster following Tuesday’s flurry of moves

The Panthers added two players to their active roster on Tuesday.

The Carolina Panthers had themselves a pretty busy Tuesday.

Headlined by running back Jonathon Brooks’ placement on the season-ending injured reserve, the team made a total of six moves this afternoon. A pair of those adjustments will welcome in two additions to the active roster—wide receiver/running back Velus Jones Jr. and defensive lineman Sam Roberts, who was promoted from the practice squad.

So, let’s do a bit of housekeeping and give you the updated roster following the signings of Jones and Roberts . . .

Panthers officially announce 2 additions on Tuesday

The Panthers officially announced their signings of WR/RB Velus Jones Jr. and WR Trenton Irwin.

The Carolina Panthers officially added a couple of wide receivers on Tuesday. (Well, maybe one wide receiver and one wide receiver/running back/return specialist.)

As announced this afternoon, the team has signed Velus Jones Jr. to their active roster and Trenton Irwin to their practice squad. Jones’ signing was first reported on by Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports while Irwin’s dropped via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Jones, a former third-round pick of the Chicago Bears in 2022, comes over from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad. In his three seasons and 27 appearances for the Bears, the 27-year-old speedster amassed 135 receiving yards and 165 rushing yards while averaging 26.7 yards per kick return (39 attempts) and 7.0 yards per punt return (five attempts).

He now fills the roster spot left vacant by rookie running back Jonathon Brooks, who has been placed on injured reserve with his ACL tear.

Irwin, who previously crossed paths with current Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik during their time at Stanford University, has spent each of his six pro campaigns with the Cincinnati Bengals. He has recorded 46 receptions for 601 yards and five touchdowns.

To make room for Irwin on the practice squad, the Panthers released fellow wide receiver Dax Milne.

Carolina also signed defensive tackle Sam Roberts from their practice squad to the active roster. Defensive end DeShawn Williams, who appeared in 26 games for the team over the last two seasons, was waived to clear a spot for Roberts.

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Report: Panthers snag RB/WR from Jaguars practice squad

Report: Panthers snag RB/WR from Jaguars practice squad

The Carolina Panthers are reportedly signing running back/wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad to their active roster, according to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports.

A third-round NFL draft pick by Chicago in 2022, Jones joined the Jaguars’ practice squad on Oct. 29 after being waived by the Bears on Oct. 26.

Jones was promoted to the Jaguars’ active roster via standard elevation for Jacksonville’s Week 11 matchup with the Detroit Lions. He did not appear in the game.

Over 27 appearances and two starts with the Bears, Jones rushed 19 times for 165 yards and one touchdown, caught 12 passes for 135 yards and one touchdown, returned 39 kickoffs with a 26.7 yard-per-return average, and returned five punts for five yards on average.

Jones caught 120 passes for 1,434 yards and 11 touchdowns, rushed 15 times for 59 yards and one touchdown and scored two kickoff return touchdowns over six seasons of college football, four with Southern California and two with Tennessee.

Report: Panthers signing former Bears 3rd-round pick to active roster

The Panthers are reportedly set to sign WR/RB/KR Velus Jones Jr., a former third-round pick of the Bears.

With running back and return specialist Raheem Blackshear currently nursing a chest injury, the Carolina Panthers may be looking to strengthen their skills on special teams this week.

According to FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Panthers are signing wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. to their active roster. The 27-year-old speedster, who has experience as both a kick and punt returner, has been a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad since late October.

The Mobile, Ala. native split his six-year collegiate career between the University of Southern California (2016 to 2019) and the University of Tennessee (2020 to 2021). He’d come out of the college ranks with a number of honors—including a Second-Team All-Pac 12 nod in 2019 as well as a First-Team All-SEC nod and a share of the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year award in 2021.

Jones Jr. would then be selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears. He’d appear in 27 games for Chicago between 2022 and 2024—totaling 135 receiving yards and 165 rushing yards while averaging 26.7 yards per kick return (39 attempts) and 7.0 yards per punt return (five attempts).

The Bears, who tried to transition Jones Jr. to the running back position at the start of this season, eventually released him on Oct. 25.

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Jaguars sign OL to active roster, WR to practice squad

Jaguars sign OL to active roster, WR to practice squad

This story has been updated to correct an error. 

The Jaguars made a few roster moves outside of trading offensive tackle Cam Robinson to the Vikings on Tuesday.

Jacksonville signed offensive lineman Blake Hance to its active roster off its practice squad, signed free agent wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. to the practice squad and released running back Jake Funk from the practice squad, the team announced.

Jacksonville claimed Hance off waivers during the 2022 season and kept him on the active roster through the 2023 campaign. The hybrid tackle/guard was released this preseason and signed to the Jaguars’ practice squad in late August.

Hance has appeared in 26 games with the Jaguars, including one start last season against Baltimore in Week 16. He has played in 50 regular season games in his career, making nine starts, the other eight with the Cleveland Browns.

Jones joins the Jaguars’ practice squad after beginning his career with Chicago, which selected him in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. He caught 12 passes for 135 yards and one touchdown, rushed 19 times for 165 yards and one touchdown and returned 39 kickoffs for 26.7 yards on average over 27 appearances with the Bears.

Funk signed with Jacksonville’s practice squad on Oct. 1 and was elevated to the Jaguars’ active roster for Week 7 against the New England Patriots and Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers. He did not take the field in either contest.

Bears believe Velus Jones Jr. will benefit from new kickoff rules

Bears STC Richard Hightower believes Velus Jones Jr. will be a huge beneficiary of the new kickoff rule.

The NFL implemented a new kickoff rule that will go into effect during the 2024 season, and it might just help Chicago Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. secure a roster spot given the important of kickoff returns.

Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower believes Jones will be a huge beneficiary of the new kickoff rule, where he can be a valuable asset for Chicago’s offense.

“You can only think about a guy like Velus Jones,” Hightower said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “A guy like that with his type of skill set, with the speed and the power that he has, and he’s coming full speed ahead at you, it’s like a damn freight train running at you.”

With the new kickoff rule, kickers will need to place the ball within a “landing zone” from the 20-yard line to the end zone. Any kick that lands in that zone must be returned. The rules for touchbacks, which will come out to the 30-yard line: If a ball lands in the zone and rolls into the endzone, kicks that land in the end zone. If the ball lands short of the “landing zone,” it’ll be blown dead nad the ball moved to the 40-yard line.

Hightower believes the kickoff rule change will not only benefit Jones but the entire team given Jones is a threat with the ball in his hands.

“He’s gonna get an opportunity to touch the ball three or four more times a game,” Hightower said. “We all know he’s a very dynamic player with the ball in his hands. But this new rule, because of the landing zone, because of the league incentivizing returns, it’s only going to have a really good effect for not only our whole return team but for a guy like that to really change the game.”