Chicago Bears snag former Green Bay Packers free agent wide receiver

As NFL free agency rolls on, the Chicago Bears have continued to stay patient and allow the signings come to them.

Other teams have spent big money and made huge moves, but general manager Ryan Poles has stuck to his plan. Poles refuses to overpay for anybody in his first year with the Bears, thus the team had only signed three outside free agents until Friday afternoon.

The Bears brought in former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, former Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Nicholas Morrow and former Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Lucas Patrick.

Friday afternoon, the Bears brought in yet another former Packer. This time, it was wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown.

Equanimeous St. Brown is yet another former Packer to join the Chicago Bears via free agency.

New Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy came from Green Bay, of course, as their former quarterbacks coach. Coming to Chicago, where the Bears’ offense needs plenty of upgrades, there was a feeling that Getsy could bring some players with him.

St. Brown should be a familiar name to Bears fans, as he played his college ball close by at Notre Dame. He was a sixth-round pick back in 2018 by the Packers, but hasn’t been used much in his four years there.

The former Irish star stands a towering 6-foot-5 and provides a big-bodied target for quarterback Justin Fields, should he end up making the roster.

At the moment, St. Brown seems to be nothing more than a depth signing. He will likely end up as the fourth or fifth wideout on the depth chart, depending on how the rest of free agency and the 2022 NFL Draft shake out.

For Poles’ fourth free agent signing, St. Brown isn’t a flashy one. But, he could provide to be an effective one. Don’t forget, St. Brown has familiarity with the offensive ideas that Getsy will run in Chicago.

He’s also coming to his second NFL team after likely feeling as though he wasn’t able to prove what he could do with the Packers. As someone who now has his second chance in the NFL to get himself on the field and make an impact, St. Brown should be motivated.

Over his time in Green Bay, St. Brown collected 37 receptions for 543 yards and one touchdown. His best season at Notre Dame came in 2016 when he caught 58 passes for 961 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished that year with 16.6 yards per reception.

As a possible outside threat, St. Brown is well-worth a flier, especially in a year where Poles is going to be cautious and awaiting what could be a big 2023 offseason.