The Chicago Bears are granting safety Jonathan Owens permission to miss seven training camp practices so he can attend the Olympic Games in Paris and support his wife, USA gymnast Simone Biles, as she competes.
Owens will be absent from July 29 to August 3 and is expected to return to practice on August 4. Women’s gymnastics qualifying begins on July 28, where Biles will compete in four events: the all-around, vault, uneven bars, and balance beam. Biles, a three-time Olympian, is the reigning all-around champion and holds the top U.S. score in every event except uneven bars.
“Just because we respect the Olympics,” said coach Matt Eberflus. “That is a big deal. And he’s just supporting the one he loves the most. And I think that’s so cool that he gets to do that. We welcome that and it’s going to be awesome. Go USA.”
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Owens joined the Bears as a free agent in March after spending the 2023 season with the Green Bay Packers, where he played in 17 games with 11 starts.
He is vying for a backup safety position behind Bears starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker and is expected to play a significant role on special teams, having logged 54% of special teams plays last season for the Packers.
In other news, following the third day of training camp practice on Monday, Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins provided an update on his contract extension talks with the team’s front office.
“Last I was told, I’ve got to wait until after the bye week to reconvene about it,” Jenkins said.
The Bears’ bye week is scheduled for Week 7, which follows an international game in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In June, Jenkins mentioned that his agents had initiated conversations with the Bears regarding an extension, but no progress had been made.
Despite dealing with injuries, Jenkins had his best season with the Bears last year. He sustained a calf injury during joint practices with the Colts in August 2023, which sidelined him until Week 5. Over his three seasons with the Bears, various injuries have caused him to miss 20 games, ranging from a career-low six games as a rookie to playing in a maximum of 13 games in 2022.
Jenkins revealed on Monday that he has invested significantly more in his physical well-being this offseason, nearly doubling his previous expenditures on physical therapy, a private chef, massages, and other forms of rehabilitation outside the Bears facility in preparation for his fourth NFL season.
“I’ve made it clear many times that I want to be with the Chicago Bears,” Jenkins said. “I’m willing to invest more now to ensure a long-term future here for myself and my family. That’s the determination I have—to spend more in the short term to gain more in the long term.”
