Jonathan Owens, the husband of Simone Biles, has secured his spot on the Chicago Bears’ 53-man roster despite missing a significant portion of training camp.
Owens’ journey to the roster was unlike any other player in the league this summer. He took a break from training camp to support his wife, Simone Biles, at the Paris Olympics, where she made history by winning three gold medals and a silver medal, bringing her total Olympic medal count to 11.
Owens was fortunate to have the support of the Bears, who allowed him to attend the Olympics and even provided him with recordings of meetings, practices, and schemes while he was away. The team was incredibly understanding and encouraging, with many players even asking him to bring back souvenirs.
“That’s a big deal, where he’s supporting the one he loves the most,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said before the Olympics. “I think that’s so cool he gets to do that and we welcome that and it’s going to be awesome.
Owens signed a two-year, $4.75 million deal with the Bears this offseason. He had an impressive 84 total tackles and recovered a fumble last season with the Green Bay Packers. The 29-year-old got his start in the league with the Houston Texans, where he spent four seasons and first met Biles, who trains at a Houston-area gym. The couple got engaged in 2022 ahead of his final season with the team, which was his first as a true starter in the league.
It’s unclear if Biles will attempt to compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where she’ll be 31 years old. However, it’s safe to assume that Biles will be in the stands for at least a few Bears games this fall.
“I just think about, ‘How did I get so lucky that this is my wife and I get to see her?’” Owens said of Biles before the Olympics. “Someone that’s literally at the pinnacle of their sport, and I get to call [her] my wife.