Following their win on Sunday over the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears fans have a lot to be excited about. The Bears’ defense continues to get takeaways, Caleb Williams looks like the quarterback everyone thought he could be coming out of USC, and they have the second-best record in the NFC.
The Bears can put themselves in the driver’s seat to win the NFC North with a win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. That said, it won’t be easy, as this same Packers’ team just beat Chicago, 28-21, in Week 14. The Bears didn’t have Rome Odunze for that game, and it could be the same case in Week 16 after he aggravated his foot injury ahead of Sunday’s game vs. Cleveland.
If Odunze can’t play, the Bears will have to lean on D.J. Moore and rookie Luther Burden III to lead the WR unit. However, those two won’t be able to do it alone; they’ll need other players to step up. One player who could be in line to play legit snaps is rookie wide receiver Jahdae Walker.
Bears May Find Out a Lot About Jahdae Walker Experiment Soon
The undrafted free agent quickly became a fan favorite among Bears fans as he made a play every time he touched the ball in the preseason. The 23-year-old Walker had eight catches (11 targets) for 98 yards and two touchdowns, which is not easy in the preseason, where snaps are at a premium.
Luckily, Walker's preseason performance was good enough to help him make Chicago’s 53-man roster.
The former Texas A&M wide receiver has appeared in six games this season, playing mostly on special teams (61 snaps). He’s had some offensive snaps sprinkled in (eight), but not enough to make a clear judgment on him.
Walker was among the inactive players for Sunday’s game after playing in Week 14 vs. Green Bay. The rookie wide receiver was sidelined by a concussion last month, which forced him to miss Weeks 10 and 11.
It's unlikely that Walker will play a huge lump sum of offensive snaps in Week 16 as the Bears have two viable pass-catching tight ends in Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet, along with Moore, Burden III, and Olamide Zaccheaus.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to get Walker on the field to see if the Bears can utilize his size (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) to their advantage. Walker reportedly ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at his pro day earlier this season, which is impressive for someone his size. He has the strength to break through tackles and will make those tough catches.
If Walker makes a couple of positive plays in a pivotal divisional matchup against the Packers in Week 16, it will not only help his stock for this season but also heading into 2026.