After playing for three NFL teams in the 2024 season, former Saraland High School standout Velus Jones Jr. will be joining a new team for 2025.
The NFL free agent has agreed to terms with the New Orleans Saints, as reported by neworleans.football and ESPN on Saturday night.
Jones, who was waived by the Chicago Bears on October 26 during his third season with the team, joined the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad four days later. On December 10, he was signed by the Carolina Panthers to their active roster.
In the 2024 season, Jones played in three games—one for the Bears and two for the Panthers—recording three rushing attempts for 11 yards and two kickoff returns for 19 yards.
Since being drafted in the third round by the Bears in 2022, Jones has accumulated 12 receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown, 20 rushing attempts for 165 yards and one touchdown, 40 kickoff returns with a 26.5-yard average, and five punt returns averaging 7.0 yards.
During the 2024 season, the Saints had eight players return kickoffs, with none surpassing 11 returns.
Jones was named an All-State player for Saraland in 2014 and 2015. He played four years at Southern Cal and two at Tennessee, capping his college career by sharing the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year Award in 2021 with Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams.
In addition to catching 62 passes for 807 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021, Jones also returned 23 kickoffs for a 27.3-yard average and one touchdown, along with 18 punts for a 15.1-yard average.
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