(670 The Score) Jakeem Grant was just winging it.
Late in the first half Sunday night at Lambeau Field, Grant hauled in a punt inside his own team's 5-yard line, set his feet and had nowhere to go. He cut to the right and was nearly swarmed by Packers defenders, then reversed course to the left and did something spectacular. Grant returned the punt 97 yards for a touchdown on a play that reminded of the great Devin Hester.
“Honestly, I had no plan at all,” Grant said of the return.
“Once I got around the edge, I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, house call.’”
Though the Bears lost 45-30 to the Packers, it proved to be a breakthrough performance for the 29-year-old Grant. Acquired by the Bears from the Dolphins in October in exchange for a sixth-round pick, Grant displayed his capabilities in both the return game and on offense. He also took a jet sweep pass 46 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter.
Grant is filling the role the Bears imagined for him when they acquired him, as he's adding a dynamic threat as a punt returner while bringing speed to the offense. Grant has been primarily thought of as a returner in his six-year NFL career, which included limited opportunities on offense in Miami.
For their part, the Bears saw untapped potential in Grant as a receiver. He has nine catches for 139 yards in five games with Chicago, including a five-reception performance in a loss to Arizona on Dec. 5.
“The biggest thing is his attitude,” Bears wide receivers coach Mike Furrey said. “I mean, his mindset that he feels that he’s quicker than everybody on that field, which he is. He’s pretty electric. But he also knows that he’s got a great feel when he gets that ball in his hands to allow his ability and his speed and his quickness, with the vision that he has with the ball in his hands.
“Confidence level is something that I’ve known from day one when he got here that he can get open and he can do something with the ball.”
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Grant is set to become a free agent in March, and he has already proved himself as a weapon the Bears should covet. He has filled the role previously occupied by running back Tarik Cohen, who has missed all of this season recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in 2020.
For his part, Grant feels he’s getting an opportunity with the Bears that’s different, and he's relishing it.
“They honestly trusted me right off the bat,” Grant said. “They just told me, ‘We got to get you in, we got to get you to learn the plays and we’re going to put you out there as soon as you get a hold of the plays.’ That’s all I needed from any coaches and any offense, to be able to trust me.
“In Miami, yeah, they totally gave up on me in the offense. As you can see, I’m getting put on offense and I’m doing great things here with the Bears and I love that. That was always my message to push that. I’m a receiver first and then a returner.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.