The Chicago Bears could move on from former fourth-round wide receiver Tyler Scott in favor of one of their UDFAs at the NFL cutdown deadline next week.
The Bears have relatively easy decisions to make at the wide receiver position as they prepare to make their 53-man roster cuts before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET league deadline.
D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze and second-round rookie Luther Burden III will claim the top three spots in the receiving rotation, while veterans Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay — an All-Pro return specialist — will expectedly slot in as depth behind them.
The lingering question is: If they keep six wideouts, who will occupy the No. 6 role?
While Scott — a 2023 fourth-round pick — seemed like the presumptive choice during the offseason, things have turned against him in training camp as other receivers have maximized their practice and preseason reps and made strong cases to make the team.
That’s why, following Friday’s preseason finale, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin predicted that undrafted rookie wide receiver Jahdae Walker — a preseason standout — will beat out Scott for the final roster spot and make the initial 53-man roster as the sixth receiver.
“The sixth wide receiver spot was between Walker and Maurice Alexander,” Cronin wrote Friday night. “Walker’s emphatic walk-off touchdown in Kansas City and tackle on the subsequent kickoff return show his value on offense and special teams. The UDFA rookie earned it.”
Tyler Scott Has Not Proven Worth a 4th-Round Pick
The Bears had high expectations for Scott when they took a chance on the Cincinnati speedster in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, believing that he could develop into their version of former Seattle Seahawks veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett in time.
Instead, Scott’s career in Chicago has proved fruitless. After catching a modest 17 passes for 168 yards and playing 439 offensive snaps as a rookie, he vanished within the Bears offense during his second season, playing just 20 offensive snaps in 2024. He also held a minimal role on special teams (35 snaps) and spent six games as a healthy scratch.
While Scott figured to have a chance to reset with a new coaching staff in 2025, he has not done nearly enough over the past several weeks to remove himself from the roster bubble. He did fine in his three preseason games, catching seven of eight passes for 99 yards and a touchdown, but he has faded on special teams, where the WR6 plays most.
The Bears could still give Scott the benefit of the doubt one more time and keep him on their 53-man roster if they believe they can still bring out the best in him. More likely than not, though, Tuesday will mark the end of the road for Scott’s time in Chicago.
Who Else Might Make the Cut Instead of Jahdae Walker?
Walker has made a compelling case for the sixth spot in the Bears’ receiving rotation in his first NFL training camp, but he is not the only one aside from Scott in contention.
As Cronin mentioned, Alexander is also a candidate for the No. 6 role after spending three seasons (2022-24) with the Detroit Lions under Ben Johnson. He caught a pretty toe-tapping touchdown pass from backup quarterback Tyson Bagent in their preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins and had seven catches for 71 yards in the preseason.
Alternatively, the Bears could opt for more experience and keep veteran Miles Boykin as their sixth receiver. He caught his only two targets for 11 yards in the preseason, but the 2019 third-round pick has caught 38 passes for 498 yards and seven touchdowns in his career and displayed quality skills as a gunner on special-teams coverage units.
The Bears must make their 53-man roster decisions before 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
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