Fifth-round rookie cornerback Zah Frazier will not play for the Chicago Bears during the 2025 NFL season, general manager Ryan Poles said Tuesday.
The Bears placed Frazier on the reserve/non-football injury (NFI) list on Monday ahead of the 53-man roster cutdown after “personal issues” kept him off the practice field for the team’s entire training camp over the past month. While players on the NFI list are eligible to return after missing four games, Poles confirmed Fraizer will miss the year.
“For Zah Fraizer, a little bit of a complicated deal,” Poles said Tuesday. “He had a situation that presented itself in a category that I would say is personal. As we dug into it and tried to help him out, it revealed itself as something that happened before he got here, so credit to our staff for finding the root cause of what he’s going through.
“So, he’ll be down for the year, but he’ll spend the time going to meetings, in the weight room and with the medical staff, preparing for next season to get ready to play. So, kind of a bummer on the front end, but I think because of everyone’s hard work and care here, we’ve got him on the right path.”
Zah Frazier Could Bounce Back for Bears in 2026
The news about Frazier losing out on his rookie season is deflating, but the 24-year-old should have an opportunity to properly compete for a roster spot again in 2026 — based on the limited details that Poles provided about his ongoing issues and overall outlook.
A lanky 6-foot-3 cornerback out of UTSA, Frazier has plenty of traits that should appeal to the Bears at cornerback. He displayed quality ball skills in his final collegiate season in 2024, taking advantage of his 80-plus-inch wingspan in coverage and recording six interceptions and 15 pass deflections. He also clocked 4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
That said, Frazier must also take advantage of his effective “redshirt” season with the Bears to ensure he is ready to contend for a role on an NFL roster. He started just one season at UTSA, putting him at a distinct disadvantage in terms of his experience.
Fortunately, Frazier will have three more seasons left on his rookie contract when he returns in 2026, giving him plenty of time to fight his way back into roster relevancy.
Should Bears Add More CB Talent in Coming Days?
The Bears are looking a little thin at the cornerback position following their 53-man roster cuts. Frazier is out for the season, as is 2023 fifth-round pick Terell Smith — who suffered a season-ending knee injury and landed on the injured reserve list on Sunday.
On the positive note, the Bears did activate Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson from the active/non-football injury list on Tuesday after he missed all of training camp with a knee injury. Poles said the plan is still to have Johnson available for Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, but any amount of uncertainty with him is a problem for the Bears.
The Bears kept six cornerbacks on their initial 53-man roster between Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson, Nahshon Wright, Nick McCloud and Josh Blackwell, but Gordon has only just started working back into the mix at practice after dealing with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs reported this week that Blackwell has a “minor injury” that will expectedly keep him out for “a few weeks.”
With so much up in the air, the Bears almost need to circle back to free agency and look into what other options are available for them. They could sign a proven veteran, but it is more likely they scour the waiver wire from the cutdown and put in a roster claim on a more depth-based cornerback who can fortify their roster as they prep for Week 1.
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