Jonathan Owens is navigating a whirlwind year with calm and resilience.
The Bears safety is adjusting to his new team after signing a two-year deal with Chicago in March, all while supporting his wife, Team USA gymnast Simone Biles, as she prepares for the 2024 Olympics, which begin this week in Paris.
Owens has learned to handle the heightened attention the couple receives, particularly in an Olympic year. “The easiest way [to handle it] is just to tune out the noise because people are always going to have something to say whether you’re doing good or bad,” Owens told The Post, while discussing his partnership with GoodSport, a naturally powered sports drink.
“So the best thing to do is do it your way and just be your authentic self because this is where you want to be in life.”
He emphasized the importance of his support system, noting that the critics don’t know his personal story or the daily struggles he faces. “There’s layers to everything. You just have to take everything with a grain of salt. People have to do their job, or if it’s social media, you know, people are going to talk. But, you can never let that distract you from the main thing. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Owens is no stranger to social media scrutiny.
The couple made headlines when Owens implied that he was “the catch” in their relationship during an appearance on “The Pivot” podcast last December, and that he didn’t know who Biles was before they got together. His comments sparked some controversy, as Biles is the most decorated American gymnast in history with seven Olympic medals and eight U.S. Gymnastics titles. Biles later explained that she found the controversy amusing. “He never said I wasn’t a catch. He said he was a catch because he is,” she said on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in April. “I’ve never met a man like him. A lot of people that meet him are like, ‘Oh my gosh, I want a man like that.’”
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The couple, who met on the dating app Raya in 2020, celebrated their first wedding anniversary in April. Owens highlighted the importance of mutual support in their relationship, especially given their demanding careers. “When it comes from traveling to different events or coming to my football games, it makes [us] want to go out there and harder or you want to improve just because you know that your family is there supporting you,” Owens said. “That’s just one thing that we always make sure to do with each other, because you do understand what each other goes through, and you know how hard it is when you’re a professional athlete.”
Owens has been a constant presence at Biles’ meets this summer, cheering her on at the U.S. Olympic Trials at the Target Center in Minneapolis earlier this month.
The Bears have granted Owens excused absences from July 29 to August 3 to support Biles in Paris during her third Olympic appearance. “Just because we respect the Olympics,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said, per ESPN. “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.”
Owens will be at the Olympics to watch Biles compete in the team and all-around gymnastics competitions before returning to training camp. This will be the first time Owens attends one of Biles’ international events, as spectators were not allowed at the Tokyo Games in 2021 due to COVID regulations. In Tokyo, Biles withdrew from several events while dealing with “the twisties” and the emotional toll of competing under immense pressure.
While Owens is competing for a backup safety role behind Bears starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, he will miss Chicago’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Game against Houston — his former team — on August 1 in Canton, Ohio.
Despite the challenges, Owens is excited for his new chapter in Chicago, where he already feels at home.
Owens stays on top of his training and feels great after incorporating GoodSport into his diet in 2023. With a sickle cell trait that puts him at an oxygen deficit, hydration is critically important to him. “Some sports drinks really don’t give me the hydration that I need, and I was very cramped,” Owens said, adding that clean ingredients are crucial for his overall health.
As Owens continues to balance his professional responsibilities and personal life, he remains focused and committed, ready to support his wife on the world stage while pursuing his own football career.
