'She's been at every game': Bears' Jonathan Owens celebrating 'special' season with wife Simone Biles
Published in Football
CHICAGO — Chicago Bears special teams player Jonathan Owens probably won’t have his favorite photographer on the sideline for Saturday’s wild-card game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field — at least as a shutterbug.
His wife, 11-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles, was credentialed as a sideline photographer when the Bears visited the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Week 17.
“She’ll be on the field pregame,” Owens told the Chicago Tribune, “but I’m not sure if she’ll be doing any pictures or anything. Nah, she’ll just be a spectator (for) this game.”
Owens and Biles were married in April 2023 and had a ceremonial wedding that May, and that fall Owens played for the Packers for a season.
Owens signed with the Bears in March 2024 and has spent the last two seasons in Chicago, bringing his famous Bears fan in tow.
“She’s been at every game, which I love my wife for that, man,” Owens said. “She’s making big sacrifices.
“But (we’re) just embracing the moment and relishing just how special this season is because I’ve been in Arizona, (who) went 3-13 (in 2018). I’ve been in Houston, where (we) had a bunch of success in 2019 when we went to the playoffs. And I was in Houston where we won four games (in 2020 and ’21).
“It’s been a roller coaster of a career, wins-wise. So just realizing how special this season is, it doesn’t happen often. Just being able to have a record like this, a team like, get wins the way that we have. So embracing we’re just embracing the moment, trying to spend as much time as we can together, just because she does have a lot more time now.”
Asked whether they share a favorite play of his, Owens said it came during the season opener, when he wrapped up Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver short of the goal line during a failed two-point conversion attempt.
“That was a pretty cool moment, just to have my teammates embrace me like that,” he said.
Their favorite team moment was “probably that play in Vegas when (Josh) Blackwell blocked that (field goal)” to seal a Bears win.
“My wife was there, she’s in the suite just jumping up and down,” Owens said. “They’re stressed out, and to pull out a game like that, it just propels us to where we are now.”
Owens said he also has enjoyed the support of the teammates on his unit, and he has returned it in kind.
“Just trying to be the most selfless person that I can be, bring that energy, be the same person every day, man, and support my guys when they (are) out there,” Owens said.
Snaps have been sparse for the safety on defense, especially compared with past seasons, but he set a goal of making double-digit tackles on teams, and he had 15 total tackles during the regular season, according to NFL stats.
“When my number’s called — kickoffs, punt return, defense, whatever it is — go out there and maximize it. I feel like that’s what makes a good team, you got a bunch of selfless guys that just want the best for the team.”
Special teamer Elijah Hicks can relate.
“My first three years, I started a lot of games on defense, contributed a lot,” he said. “And so this was one of the years where I was consistently a special teams player and I was able to stack a lot of good games and good plays and (I’m) being recognized for it.
Hicks said he, Owens and Blackwell boost each other by competing with one another.
“We try to see who could go down and make the tackle,” Hicks said. “Who’s going to make the tackle (on) this play? OK, you got it inside the 30, I’m trying to get it inside the 25. We’re thinking like that. We’re competitive. It’s a friendly competition.”
Off the field, he and Owens have a special bond as well.
“On off days, me and JO, or just JO, go to my wife’s Pilates studio,” Hicks said. “So we just have that type of relationship.”
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