Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is allowing safety Jonathan Owens, the husband of Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, to skip several training camp practices so he can watch his wife complete at the Paris Olympics, ESPN reported.
According to ESPN, Owens will be allowed to miss training sessions from July 29 through August 3, returning on August 4.
“Just because we respect the Olympics,” Eberflus told 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.”
According to Athlon Sports, “attending training camp is mandatory, and unexcused absences can lead to massive fines,” but that was waived for Owens.
Biles, a member of the USA National Team in Paris, has a lengthy list of accomplishments and is widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time. In 2023, she became the most decorated gymnast in history, according to PBS.
Simone Biles Wrote That She Would See Her Husband Soon at the Paris Olympics
In an Instagram post on July 23, Biles wrote that she would see Owens soon.
“Happy happy birthday to my husband, best friend, confidant and party goer ❤️ thanks for being the calm to my storm! i love you with all my heart and I can’t wait to see what this year brings!” she wrote, adding, “Let’s do it big baby💋😘✨ wish I was there to celebrate you, but I’ll see you soon!!! XO”
GettySimone Biles with her husband Jonathan Owens.
According to ESPN, Owens, 29, became a Chicago Bears player as a free agent this spring after playing for the Green Bay Packers in 2023. “He is competing for a backup safety role behind Bears starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker,” ESPN reported.
His team profile on the Bears page says Owens is a “veteran defensive back” who “enters his first season with the Bears after stops with Green Bay, Houston and Arizona. Has appeared in 48 regular season games in his career with 30 starts, as well as starting in two postseason games.”
In 2023 for the Packers, he “played in all 17 games with 11 starts and recorded 74 tackles (51 solo), three passes defended, a sack, two tackles for a loss, a quarterback hit, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown,” according to The Chicago Bears’ website.
The Bears give his career stats as follows: “Totaled 215 tackles (143 solo) with eight passes defensed, two quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries, one interception and one forced fumble.”
Simone Biles Frequently Posts About Her Husband, Jonathan Owens, on Her Instagram Page
On July 7, Biles posted a photo to her Instagram page showing her and Owens in matching Team USA pajamas. “Land of dreams,” she wrote with the post.
Her profile picture on Instagram is a wedding photo of her with Owens.
On March 7, in her latest photo post on Instagram, she posted a photo showing her walking on a beach with Owens, holding his hand, and wrote, “if home was a person 🌊🤍💋⚓️🌅.” They married in 2023, according to photos posted on her page.
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