An undrafted Ole Miss product who has carved out a steady role in the Chicago secondary through sheer persistence.
Jaylon Jones has bounced through waivers and a brief run with the Cardinals, but he always finds his way back to Chicago. The cornerback's ball skills as a college return man have translated into a physical, reliable presence on the Bears' back end.
Path to the league
Jones starred at Ole Miss from 2016 to 2021, earning First-team Freshman All-American honors in his debut season and racking up 775 kick return yards with a 97-yard touchdown as a sophomore. He went unselected in the 2022 NFL Draft and signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent.
Career highlights
Jones made his first career start in Week 5 of his rookie season against Minnesota, recording 13 combined tackles and a forced fumble that day. He has since developed into a dependable rotational and special-teams contributor, totaling over 100 career tackles and two forced fumbles.
2025 season recap
Jones signed with the Arizona Cardinals in free agency in March 2025 but was waived during final roster cuts in late August. The Bears claimed him off waivers the very next day, and he spent the rest of the season back in Chicago before re-signing on a one-year deal in 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jaylon Jones (American football, born 1997)
- ESPN: Jaylon Jones
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
15 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | bears | 15 | 16 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | bears | 8 | 15 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 | bears | 17 | 23 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | bears | 16 | 47 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Cornerback
- Group
- defense
- College
- Ole Miss
- Hometown
- Allen, TX, USA
- Age
- 28
- Status
- active
