Once the Chicago Bears wrap up their Sunday night affair versus the Buffalo Bills, the NFL world will officially be onto the third and final week of the preseason. That means the roster crunch is officially on, as teams decide on players to either bring with them to the start of the campaign or let loose for any squad to scoop up.
There are still several position battles undecided across the league, as the Bears are well-aware of given their current uncertainty at left tackle. These kinds of situations open the door for free agents who haven't gotten a chance yet, as they offer a potentially different outcome than players who've let coaching staffs down this summer.
And as it turns out, one recent Chicago defender is trying to use that temptation to catch on with a team as the preseason winds down.
I can definitely still play out there
— Taco Charlton (@TheSupremeTaco) August 17, 2025
Late Saturday night, following a full day of preseason action that exposed some glaring cut candidates around the league, ex-Bear Taco Charlton tweeted a clear message to teams: "I can definitely still play out there." This makes it obvious that Charlton, a former first-round pick with plenty of experience, is hoping to keep his NFL career going despite last playing in 2022.
Charlton's most recent NFL appearance was in Week 16 of the 2022 campaign for Chicago, and the last time he was on a team's roster was the 2023 preseason with the San Francisco 49ers. The fact that he's been away for two years now, and will turn 31 in November, certainly doesn't help his case.
That being said, Charlton hasn't sat on his hands after his NFL exit. He's played in the UFL for the past two years and shown he's got something left in the tank with 6.0 sacks in 2024, and another 2.5 in seven games this past spring.
Pass-rushing talent is something franchises can never get enough of, so that leads to players at this position getting more chances than less-premium spots. Considering Charlton has some encouraging recent performances to point to, over 60 NFL appearances to his name (with 11.5 total sacks), and a first-round pedigree, he's the kind of veteran who could actually sway a team to give him a workout at the very least.
As squads look to bolster their depth ahead of the long grind of the season, it wouldn't be a huge shock to see Charlton's name pop up in the coming weeks.