Owens, Everett and Pettis talk playing for Bears in 2024 |
CHICAGO — The Bears made many important moves in the offseason, including signing safety Jonathan Owens and tight end Gerald Everett and re-signing wide receiver Dante Pettis. These pieces will help Chicago go into the upcoming season with depth at important positions and establish the scheme of the offense under offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
Owens spent his first four seasons with the Houston Texans before playing for the Green Bay Packers last season. With the Packers, he registered his first defensive touchdown with a 27-yard scoop-and-score. During his time with both the Texans and the Packers, he also paid on special teams a great deal, adding to his versatility. “I’m coming in to compete. I know what I can do on special teams. I know what I can do on defense,” Owens said. “So, I feel like that’s what makes me a very valuable asset to a team because I can do whatever you need me to do, be versatile. I’m excited for the challenge. Wherever they feel they want me to be and feel that I’m best at, I’m ready to do it.” As an undrafted player who bounced between the practice squad and active roster for much of his career, he is used to teams not valuing him and his talents. During his last two seasons, however, he was able to start 28 games. Coming to Chicago, he was not expected to be an immediate starter, but he recognized that the Bears were the team that truly wanted him and would accept him and his wife, gymnast Simone Biles, into the community. “We wanted to be somewhere where we felt like we were wanted,” Owens said. “I just really felt like Chicago really valued what I can do on the field, my versatility and I’m just excited to come here and be a part of this organization.” Everett has spent his entire NFL career on the west coast, spending four years with the Los Angeles Rams, one year with the Seattle Seahawks, and the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, playing alongside new Bears receiver Keenan Allen. “He was one of the first guys that I actually intertwined with when I joined the Chargers in 2022. So, it’s good to make the transition with a familiar face,” Everett said. “He’s a craftsman. He’s very consistent, just how he approaches the practice field everyday. He’s a laid-back guy, but when the lights come on, you see how he produces, and it’s infectious.” Another benefit with Everett is his familiarity with Waldron’s scheme. He has spent a good deal of time with Waldron as Waldron was the passing game coordinator for the Rams in 2020 when Everett was there. Everett also followed Waldron to Seattle when he became the offensive coordinator there in 2021. In fact, he said that Waldron being with the Bears was an influential factor in coming to Chicago. “Meeting the guy my rookie year, even at the Combine, I got a good sense of him. He’s like a machine,” Everett said. “He’s like a computer almost, just the way he processes information and the way he relays it to us as players. I couldn’t say enough about Shane. Obviously, coming to Chicago, he’s a big reason for that as well.” Pettis has been with Chicago for the last two years, recording 245 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2022. He also returned punts a little, averaging 9.1 yards per return in 2022. Pettis missed all of the 2023 season with a neck injury, although he was medically cleared to play about half way through the season. “I think that (head coach Matt Eberflus) just likes how I run routes, understand the game. He likes what I bring to the room,” Pante said. “It’s my seventh year now, which is kind of crazy. But, I feel like I have seen a lot of football and that’s definitely something that is valued here I think.”
