The Chicago Bears' training camp continues as July enters its final week. It's been a bumpy start to the Bears' first training camp led by head coach Ben Johnson, who made it abundantly clear that he isn't thrilled about how the team's practices have gone so far.
Hopefully, the slow start to camp is temporary, and that Chicago's veterans and rookies alike step up. A strong summertime performance is crucial to avoid being a roster cut candidate, and the Bears already showed they have no room for excess fat when they axed defensive back Alex Cook and defensive lineman Jereme Robinson on Tuesday.
Although it remained to be seen where either defender would sign, it didn't take long for one of them to find themselves back in Chicago.
Bears Re-Sign DB Alex Cook 2 Days After Being Cut from Training Camp
On Thursday morning, the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs reported that the Bears have re-signed Cook two days after cutting him. How long he stays on the roster this time remains to be seen; however, it's clear that Johnson and his staff saw enough in the veteran defender that they're willing to give him another chance.
#Bears signed S Alex Cook. He played in 10 games for Carolina during the 2023 season.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) July 24, 2025
Cook, 26, is a former undrafted DB who started his NFL career on the New York Giants' practice squad. While he didn't end up playing any games with the Giants, he drew enough attention to be signed by the Carolina Panthers during the 2023 campaign. He went on to play 10 games (2 starts) that year, tallying six solo tackles while handling defense and special teams duties.
Cook was then released from the Panthers this past December, spent a hot minute back on the Giants' practice squad, and then opted to sign a reserve/future contract with the Bears in January.
Time will tell if Cook will capitalize on his second chance this summer. The Bears have plenty of talented DBs like Kyler Gordon, Jaylon Johnson, Kevin Byard, and Elijah Hicks, and that's without mentioning many depth options, meaning Cook's best shot at cracking the roster will likely be as a special teamer.
With the Bears having a clear affinity towards Cook, it'll be interesting to see how his outlook changes throughout training camp and the preseason. The Panthers clearly saw something in him two years ago, and time will tell if HC Johnson and his staff experience a similar feeling before September.