New Bears safety Jonathan Owens, wife Simone Biles getting acclimated to Chicago: 'The city has embraced us'

Having signed with the Bears in March, safety Jonathan Owens has already taken the field in Chicago, so to speak.

On Saturday, Owens threw out the first pitch at the Cincinnati Reds-Chicago White Sox game at Guaranteed Rate Field. Throwing from the top of the mound (many go from the base of it for a shorter and safer throw), Owens wasted little time and tossed a solid offering over the plate.

It was a sign of relief for wife and four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and a promising introduction to Chi-Town.

"He kept talking about the side arm," Biles said, via Gabby Hajduk of the team website. "I really thought he was going to throw a '50 Cent.' I was so excited for that. Well, it was actually a 10, so it irritated me how good it was. It was really good. I'm proud of him."

Getting a 10 from one of the greatest gymnasts of all time – spouse bias notwithstanding – is hopefully a sign of good marks to come for Owens in Chicago.

Owens has come into his own over the past two seasons, wrapping up a four-year run with the Houston Texans in 2022 by tallying a career-high 125 tackles in 17 starts. In 2023, Owens started 11 games for the rival Green Bay Packers, recording 84 tackles and his first career touchdown on a fumble recovery. Though Owens isn't a shoo-in to start at safety, he should bolster what portends to be a stellar defensive backfield with Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard at the safety spots, Pro Bowler Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson at cornerback and Kyler Gordon at nickel.

Owens, 28, is now with his third team in as many seasons, but after signing a two-year pact, perhaps Chicago will be a sweet home for a while. So far, it's been quite the welcome.

"The city has embraced us, so it's been really nice," Biles