Chicago Bears fans have been pleasantly surprised by this year’s rookie class, which was looking like a disappointment earlier this season.
However, things quickly turned around for the Bears’ 2025 class as Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, Kyle Monangai, and Ozzy Trapilo have all played instrumental roles in the team’s turnarounds this season.
While those young players have been getting all the praise, rookie cornerback Zah Frazier has been out of sight and out of mind. The Bears took Frazier in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft with the hopes of him competing for a spot on the 53-man roster.
But that never happened, as the Bears placed Frazier on the non-football injury list in August due to “a personal reason,” per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. Frazier last practiced in May during the team’s rookie minicamp. Bears fans were disappointed to see Frazier’s 2025 season end before it even got started, as he has a lot of intriguing traits to play on the boundary.
On Thursday, Chicago fans received a surprising update on the young cornerback, who posted an image on social media (h/t @downbadbears on Twitter) with the caption “medically cleared, thank God.”
Bears' Zah Frazier Worries Put to Rest in Middle of Playoff Prep
If you’re a Bears fan, this is great news, as we haven’t heard much regarding Frazier’s health since late August.
When Poles talked to the media at the end of the preseason, he described the situation as a “bummer.” The Bears GM also said that the rookie cornerback would join meetings, put in work in the weight room, and work with the medical staff to get him ready for the 2026 season.
The Bears hope that is still the case for Frazier, as it's currently unclear if they’ll be able to retain Nahshon Wright, who has had a breakout season, and is due for a pay raise. Frazier almost has a similar frame to Wright (6-foot-4, 199 pounds), as the rookie is 6-foot-3 and 186 pounds.
Coming out of UTSA, Frazier was considered a raw prospect, but it's hard to look past his size and acceleration/speed (4.36 40-yard dash). He’s the perfect candidate to put on the outside, as he can run with most WRs and hold his own in man coverage.
Even though Frazier won’t play in the playoffs, the Bears should have him, hopefully, for the start of offseason workouts in the spring, giving them another playmaker for Dennis Allen and Al Harris to develop.