Bears sign punt/kick returner DeAndre Carter: Report

Bears sign punt/kick returner DeAndre Carter: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Bears are signing punt/kick return specialist DeAndre Carter, Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz reported on Thursday.

With the NFL's new kickoff rules in place, it appears GM Ryan Poles is gearing up for the Bears' attack after opposing touchdowns.

From 11 kick returns in 2023, Carter averaged 23.8 yards per return, racking up 262 total yards. He averaged 9.7 yards per punt return from 24 returns, also.

Does Carter's signing spell trouble for Velus Jones Jr.?

Jones has been underwhelming as a former third-round pick from the 2022 NFL Draft. He's failed to crack into the Bears' starting receiving corps, hardly ever seeing the field on offense (played 11% of offensive snaps in 2023).

But Jones has a better punt and kick return average from more touches, too, than Carter. Last year's numbers would skew towards Jones, who has been the main kick returner for the Bears. The Bears did sign Trent Taylor last season to help fill the gaps for punt returns.

Like Jones, Carter also doesn't move the needle much on the offensive side. However, he finished with 538 receiving yards with the Raiders in 2022.

Carter played with the Bears during a prior stint. He played in four games with the team in 2020, returning four punts.

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