When Life Off the Field Tests Champions: Jonathan Owels Faces Reality Check as Crime Hits Home in the Windy City

You know, I have been watching football for more years than I care to count, and I have seen a lot of things happen to players both on the field and off it. I have seen guys overcome injuries that would end most people's careers. I have seen undrafted free agents become Pro Bowl caliber players. I have seen teams rise from the ashes of despair to win Super Bowls. But one thing that never gets easier to talk about is when bad things happen to good people in the wrong place at the wrong time. That is exactly what happened to Jonathan Owels and his wife Simone Biles when their Porsche was stolen right here in Chicago, and I am telling you, this story matters more than just the surface level crime report.

Let me set the scene for you because context is everything in this life. Jonathan Owels, a linebacker who just made one of the biggest moves of his career in March when he left the Chicago Bears to sign with the Indianapolis Colts, had built a life in the Chicago area. This was his team, his community, his home. The Bears drafted him back in 2018, and over his time there, he became a dependable defender and a locker room leader. When free agency rolled around in 2024, Owels made the tough decision to move on, to take his talents to Indianapolis, to chase that Super Bowl ring that every player dreams about. It was a professional decision, a smart one at that, but it did not sever his ties to Chicago completely. He still had property there, he still had connections, and like so many players do, he probably spent time back in the city during the offseason.

Now, Simone Biles, his wife, is one of the greatest gymnasts in human history. Let me say that again because it deserves emphasis. Simone Biles is arguably the best at what she does that has ever lived. She has won Olympic gold medals, world championships, and has overcome mental health challenges in the public eye with a grace and dignity that inspires millions. She represents excellence, dedication, and the kind of work ethic that only the greatest athletes possess. When you put these two together, you have a power couple that represents the absolute pinnacle of athletic achievement in this country.

And then three men in masks showed up and stole their Porsche. Just like that. Gone. No respect for who they are, no recognition of their accomplishments, no care about the fact that they are good people trying to live their lives. This is what happened in Chicago, and folks, it matters.

I want to talk about this from a few angles because this story has layers, and if we do not dig into those layers, we miss the real lessons here. First, let us talk about crime and public safety in major American cities. I grew up when the NFL was different, when players stayed in one place for their whole careers, when you knew the guys who played for your team and you invested in them like they were family. Chicago has always been a special place for football. The Bears are one of the original franchises. Chicago fans are some of the most passionate, most knowledgeable fans in football. But Chicago is also dealing with the same crime challenges that many major urban centers face. When you have a situation like this, where a high profile athlete and his wife are targeted, it tells us something about the broader issues affecting the city.

Second, let us think about what this means for Jonathan Owels and his transition to Indianapolis. The guy makes a move in free agency, leaves a team and a city where he spent six years building his career, and one of his last memories before fully embracing his new chapter is having his vehicle stolen. That is tough. That is really tough. You are making a life change, you are committing to a new organization, a new defense, a new city with the Colts, and meanwhile you are dealing with this violation happening back where you came from. It is the kind of thing that can weigh on a person, that can affect your mindset during the offseason when you are supposed to be getting your body right and preparing for the season ahead.

Third, and this is important, Simone Biles is not just Jonathan Owels' wife. She is her own person with her own career, her own achievements, her own life. When something like this happens, the attention falls on her too, and whether we like it or not, being married to a professional athlete puts you in a position where you become subject to attention you did not necessarily ask for. I think about the great spouses throughout football history, the women who stood by their men through thick and thin, who dealt with the demands of the NFL life, and here we have Simone Biles, a global icon in her own right, dealing with this situation. That speaks to something larger about safety and security for prominent people in this country.

Now, here is what I find myself thinking about most. Jonathan Owels made a choice. He chose to leave the Bears, chose to go to Indianapolis, chose to pursue his football dreams with a new team. That takes guts. That takes confidence. That takes the kind of mental toughness that separates good players from great players. In the middle of making that transition, life threw him a curveball. Not everyone handles that kind of thing well. Some people let it derail them, let it become an excuse, let it affect their focus. But I have a feeling Jonathan Owels is the type of guy who will channel this into fuel, who will use it as motivation, who will show up in Indianapolis even more determined than he was before.

The Colts got themselves a player who is not just physically talented but mentally tough. That is not just a Porsche that got stolen from Jonathan Owels. That is a moment that defines character. How he responds, how he moves forward, how he blocks out the noise and focuses on being great for his new team and his new city, that is what matters. That is what separates the players who matter from the ones who fade away.

For fans, this story should matter because it reminds us that these athletes are people. They deal with the same challenges that we deal with. They live in the real world, they face real problems, and they have to find ways to overcome them while also performing at the highest level. When you put on that Colts uniform and you step onto that field, you are representing your community, your organization, your teammates, and yourself. Jonathan Owels will do that with excellence because that is who he is. But it is nice to remember that he is also a person navigating life like the rest of us, and his resilience in facing these challenges makes him an even more compelling figure to root for this season.