The Chicago Bears are in the middle of their first training camp under Ben Johnson and there’s sure to be a lot of turnover before the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 8. The Bears were a 5-12 team a year ago and it led to a ton of people brought in not only with new faces on the coaching staff but also a ton of new players to turn things around.
The addition of new players makes the competition crowded for a roster spot as camp moves along. While some players will have the chance to prove themselves, others may have sealed their fate, including a recent draft bust who may be on the way out of town as the calendar turns to August.
Bears WR Tyler Scott Has 1 Month to Save His Job
Tyler Scott was a fourth-round pick by the Bears in the 2023 draft, but he hasn’t done much to secure a role on the team. His rookie season was modest, catching 17 passes for 168 scoreless yards while appearing in all 17 games. But last year was a severe disappointment as he caught one pass for five yards and didn’t appear in five out of seven games in a stretch from Oct. 27 to Dec. 8.
Scott showed signs of life with a 100-yard game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 18, but it didn’t stop Johnson from adding talent to the receiver room. Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay were signed in free agency to fill depth and return roles that Scott had occupied in his first two seasons, and the Bears drove the point home by selecting Luther Burden III in the second round of April’s draft.
Sometimes situations like this bring out the best in a player. But so far this offseason, Scott has been silent. While his speed and ability to make deep plays downfield helped him get selected out of Cincinnati, showing it during camp may be too late to climb a depth chart that also has Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore locked in as the top starters.
So where does Scott go from here? The preseason will be pivotal to show that his training camp performance isn’t just a byproduct of shorts and shells. If he performs well, he could make a last-second effort to make the team or grab the attention of another team that’s looking for receiver help.