The Chicago Bears are ushering in a new era and there may not be a lot of room for the previous one. Ben Johnson took over as head coach in January and the past eight months have been cleaning up the flaws left behind by Matt Eberflus.
While the Bears are still a work of progress heading into their season opener with the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 8, the transition to Johnson has already begun. With the roster deadline looming, Johnson has already put his stamp on the team and showed no regard for previous draft picks.
#Bears are waiving receiver Tyler Scott, per source. Was Chicago's fourth-round pick in 2023.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 26, 2025
The #Bears are waiving defensive lineman Zacch Pickens, a third-round pick in 2023, per source. pic.twitter.com/ZCs6WZrx6D
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 26, 2025
Bears Release 2 of Matt Eberflus’s Draft Picks on Cutdown Day
The Bears’ cuts began to trickle out on Tuesday morning and included two picks made by Eberflus’s staff during the 2023 draft. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bears have made a decision to cut defensive tackle Zacch Pickens and wide receiver Tyler Scott in a pair of moves that effectively ushered in Johnson’s tenure with the team.
Pickens was a third-round pick by the Bears in the 2023 draft, but was a widely speculated cut candidate after making 39 total tackles with 1.5 sacks in two seasons with the team. The writing was on the wall when the Bears signed Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency but Chicago tripled down on the interior, adding Shemar Turner in the second round of this year’s draft.
Scott was in a similar situation as a fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft. His career got off to a better start as he caught 17 passes for 168 yards while appearing in all 17 games in his rookie season. But he made just one catch for five yards last season and was buried on the depth chart behind D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze before the Bears signed Olamide Zaccheaus and drafted Luther Burden III last April.
Both players were part of the previous coaching staff, but the man who made both picks, general manager Ryan Poles, still remains in place. Poles, who was extended by the Bears in July, is hoping that Johnson could make some better decisions and getting rid of the previous regime’s project could be a first step in that process.