Carl Jones Jr.

Carl Jones Jr.
No. 50 – Chicago Bears
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (2001-08-08) August 8, 2001 (age 23)
Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school:Golden Valley
(Bakersfield, California)
Bakersfield
(Bakersfield, California)
College:UCLA (2019–2023)
Undrafted:2024
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career NFL statistics as of Week 10, 2024
Games played:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Carl Jones Jr. (born August 8, 2001) is an American professional football linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins.

Early life

Jones was born on August 8, 2001, in Bakersfield, California.[1] He attended Golden Valley High School before transferring to Bakersfield High School.[2] In high school, he participated in football, basketball and track and field.[3] He played quarterback as a junior, throwing for seven touchdowns and running for 556 yards and six touchdowns, and as a senior he ran for 296 yards and six touchdowns, caught 24 receptions for 589 yards and seven touchdowns, and made 66 tackles on defense.[3] A three-star recruit, he committed to play college football for the UCLA Bruins.[3]

College career

At UCLA, Jones transitioned from being a safety in high school to a linebacker, also seeing time as an edge rusher.[4] As a freshman at UCLA in 2019, he appeared in all 12 games, two as a starter, and finished with 24 tackles.[3] He played all seven games in 2020, finishing with 21 tackles, played in all 12 games in 2021, then appeared in all 13 games in 2022, totaling 28 tackles, with most of his action being as a reserve in those years.[3] As a senior in 2023, Jones appeared in all 13 games, four as a starter, and finished with 31 tackles and two sacks.[3][5] He concluded his collegiate career having made 135 tackles, 23.0 tackles-for-loss (TFLs) and eight sacks.[6]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 11+3⁄4 in
(1.82 m) 		219 lb
(99 kg) 		31+3⁄8 in
(0.80 m) 		9 in
(0.23 m)		 4.52 s 1.62 s 2.63 s 4.52 s 7.15 s 34.0 in
(0.86 m)		 10 ft 3 in
(3.12 m)		 22 reps
All values from Pro Day[7]

After going unselected in the 2024 NFL draft, Jones signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent.[8] He was waived on August 27, 2024, then re-signed to the practice squad the following day.[9][10] He was elevated to the active roster on November 9, 2024, for the team's Week 10 game against the New England Patriots, and made his NFL debut in the game, appearing on 12 special teams snaps.[11][12] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 6, 2025.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Carl Jones Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  2. ^ Boyns, Myles (April 19, 2024). "BHS grad and UCLA alum Carl Jones, Jr. speaks on being an NFL prospect". KBAK-TV.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Carl Jones Jr". UCLA Bruins.
  4. ^ Sawyer, Haley (August 24, 2022). "UCLA's Carl Jones Jr. growing into new edge rusher role". Los Angeles Daily News.
  5. ^ Hamilton, Jake (May 1, 2024). "Former Bruins linebacker Carl Jones Jr. signs with Chicago Bears". USA Today.
  6. ^ Fray, Jason (May 1, 2024). "UCLA Football: Undrafted Former Bruins Defensive Lineman Signs With Bears". Sports Illustrated.
  7. ^ "Carl Jones Jr. College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  8. ^ Boyns, Myles (April 28, 2024). "Two Bakersfield athletes get the chance to earn spots on NFL teams after 2024 NFL Draft". KBAK-TV.
  9. ^ Ortiz, Alex (August 27, 2024). "Chicago Bears make final cuts to reach 53-player NFL roster". CBS News.
  10. ^ Mayer, Larry (August 28, 2024). "Roster Moves: Bears sign players to practice squad". Chicago Bears.
  11. ^ "NFL news roundup: Latest league updates from Saturday, Nov. 9". National Football League. November 9, 2024.
  12. ^ "Carl Jones Career Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  13. ^ "Roster Moves: Bears sign nine players to reserve/future contracts". ChicagoBears.com. January 6, 2025.