It's training camp time at Halas Hall as the Chicago Bears continue their 2025 summertime workouts. First-year head coach Ben Johnson has been putting his rookie and veteran players through the wringer since last week, and a new week means even more grueling practices are on the horizon.
The NFL preseason is almost here, which means it's even more crucial for the Bears' bubble players to step up sooner rather than later. Any missteps could absolutely crater a player's 53-man roster odds, which is why this disappointing Chicago wideout must have a strong finish to camp if he wants to buy himself more time with the franchise.
Bears WR Samori Toure Must Step Up with Strong Training Camp
Bears fans are excited to see how the wide receiver room will shake out after the front office found some new running mates for DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Chicago signed veteran WRs Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay in free agency, and further bolstered its depth by using the 2025 NFL draft's 39th overall selection on ex-Missouri playmaker Luther Burden III.
With those new faces in the mix, returning WR Samori Toure has no choice but to have a strong training camp performance if he wants to stick with the Bears.
Drafted by the Green Bay Packers at No. 258 in 2022, Toure spent two seasons with the Bears' NFC North rival before joining the latter's practice squad last August. The former Nebraska Cornhusker didn't end up playing a game with Chicago, though, as he remained with the practice unit throughout the 2024 campaign. Still, that didn't stop the Bears from signing him to a reserve/future contract in January.
Even without playing a game last season, Toure at least had an outside chance of making the 53-man roster at the start of the offseason due to the Bears' lack of WR depth. Now that Burden, Duvernay, Zaccheaus, and some undrafted names have been added to the mix, Toure's odds have diminished, highlighting how important it is that he must capitalize on every opportunity given.
Otherwise, he might be a casaulty of the first wave of training camp cuts.
Toure showed his potential when he paced the Big Ten with a whopping 19.5 yards per reception in 2021. If he can rediscover the confidence to be that kind of playmaker again, he might survive the 2025 season in Chicago — even if it's as a practice squad member again.