Most NFL players wouldn’t take five days off during crucial training camp battles.
But Jonathan Owens, a safety for the Chicago Bears, isn’t like most players. The sixth-year backup is stepping away to support his wife, Simone Biles, as she competes for the U.S. gymnastics team at the Paris Olympics.
“Man, it’s crazy,” Owens said. “It feels like everyone is now a gymnastics fan. People keep asking me questions because they see commercials of her everywhere. It’s just wild.”
The coaching staff and management fully support Owens’ decision. His time away was planned when he signed a two-year contract with the Bears in March.
“It was something my agent and I discussed when I signed with the team,” said Owens, who joined the Bears after a season with Green Bay. “Given the Olympics and who my wife is, we asked if it would be okay for me to go support her. They were very understanding and accommodating.”
“First-class organization,” Owens added. “I’m grateful they allowed me to support her. I’m excited to be there for her, and I know my family and wife really appreciate it.”
Biles, who won the all-around gold medal and two other golds at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is a six-time world champion. She and the U.S. team are expected to win the team competition.
If Biles wins a medal, it will be the third consecutive Summer Games where a family member of a Bears player has won a medal. In 2021, Robert Quinn’s sister, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, won gold in the 100-meter hurdles for Puerto Rico.
In 2016, Corey Cogdell-Unrein, the wife of Bears defensive end Mitch Unrein, won bronze in women’s trap shooting.
Coach Matt Eberflus has no issues with Owens missing five days. “We respect the Olympics,” Eberflus said. “It’s a big deal, and he’s supporting someone he loves.” “And it’s really cool that he gets to do that. We’re all for it and think it’s awesome. Go USA.”
There seems to be no concern from teammates who are also competing for positions while Owens is away. He will be gone from Monday night until August 3.
“Everyone is being really supportive,” Owens said. “It’s great. They’re asking me to bring back souvenirs.”
Owens and Biles got married last year. This will be his first time watching Biles compete in person at the Olympics because the 2020 games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and no fans were allowed in Tokyo.
“I was still in training camp last time, but I would wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning before practice to watch her events,” Owens said. Owens will stay in touch with the Bears during his trip.
“The coaches are doing a great job,” he said. “They’ll record every meeting, so I’ll get all the updates and stay on track. I’ll work out while I’m away and make sure I come back in good shape.”
Instead of waking up to watch his wife’s events this time, he plans to watch the Bears play in the Hall of Fame Game on August 1 in Canton, Ohio, against Houston.
In Paris, he will be like any other USA Gymnastics fan, watching closely and anxiously.
“Oh absolutely, because it’s the person you love most and you see them up there in a position where someone could get hurt, and you know, you care about her, so it’s always super nerve-wracking,” he said. “Let’s say I’m on the field and she sees me hit somebody, or take a hard hit, or something. It’s like a gasp of air.
“So, like, when she’s on the floor or the beam, I just know how long you work for it and how much you put into it. So when you see someone out there, I don’t know, I can’t describe it. We’re just out there holding our breath.”
The couple still has a house in Houston, where Biles trains. Owens played for the Texans earlier in his career. The plan is for Biles to join Owens in Chicago after a post-Olympics gymnastics tour for the U.S. team.
They’ve been apart while she was training and he left for training camp. The thing he’s looking forward to most?
“Seeing her, man,” he said. “I haven’t seen her in about three weeks now, so just seeing and just obviously, I’ve never been over to Paris so that’s pretty cool to say that I’ve been able to go.
“But just seeing her and being able to see her do her thing. That’s really what I’m happy for.”
