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3 Bears Rookies on Thin Ice After Their First Season

With the Bears' disappointing 2023 NFL campaign in the rearview, these three Chicago rookies find themselves on thin ice this offseason.

By Devon Platana

WR Tyler Scott is one of three Bears rookies on thin ice after his first NFL season.
WR Tyler Scott is one of three Bears rookies on thin ice after his first NFL season. / Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
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2. Zacch Pickens, DT

Despite suiting up in each of the Bears' 17 games, rookie defensive tackle Zacch Pickens didn't see much playing time. The former South Carolina defender was limited to only 25% of defensive snaps and 4% of special teams opportunities.

Although Pickens tallied 20 combined tackles, only nine were solo efforts. He also only recorded 0.5 sacks with a defended pass and a forced fumble. Furthermore, the ex-Gamecock missed a whopping 9.1% of his tackling attempts and finished with a 44.1 run defense grade on Pro Football Focus — third-worst among Chicago defenders who played at least 100 snaps against the run.

Considering how the Bears were the No. 1 team against the run in 2023 and newly-hired defensive coordinator Eric Washington will likely want to keep that momentum going. If Pickens can't pick up the pace and play at a world-class level, his time in the Windy City might not last long.

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