The Chicago Bears were one of the more active teams in NFL free agency, as they made it a point to bolster their offensive and defensive lines.
While those moves received the most attention, and rightfully so, the Bears made several small signings. Among those deals, Chicago added a former All-Pro kick returner on a cheap $1.3 million contract, who has made his presence known in OTAs and minicamp.
Bears' Devin Duvernay Quickly Making Plays as New Arrival
The player that we are talking about is veteran wide receiver Devin Duvernay. Duvernay had an okay 2024 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who ended up cutting him this offseason. He posted 11 receptions (16 targets) for 79 yards on offense. However, Duvernay averaged 8.8 yards per punt return (career-low) and 25.1 yards per kick return (third-highest in his career).
The 27-year-old receiver signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the Jaguars last offseason after spending his first four years with the Ravens.
In Baltimore, Duvernay was a two-time Pro Bowler and first team All-Pro. The Bears would love to see Duvernay return to that form, as they need a replacement for DeAndre Carter, who left in the offseason and signed a one-year pact with the Cleveland Browns.
According to Alyssa Barbieri of the Bears Wire, the veteran wide receiver/return specialist was listed as one of the standouts, and even caught the attention of Clay Harbor. Harbor said on social media that, “Every open practice we’ve seen he’s made plays."
In one of his minicamp observation write-ups, Adam Jahns of The Athletic mentioned that the vet caught a deep pass from Caleb Williams and another pass from Tyson Bagent, where he took it to the end zone.
If you are the Bears, you aren’t looking for Duvernay to add much offensively, given the talent you have at the position. However, if he can showcase his speed in the return game to help flip field position, while also creating big plays in the passing game when called upon, Duvernay’s contract will look like a steal.