Ben Johnson finally weighs in on the addition of Olamide Zaccheaus and the big plans for what he can bring to the Bears offense in 2025
The Chicago Bears were an active team this offseason in free agency building up the trenches with veteran help on the offensive and defensive lines, but one of the more overlooked additions made to the roster was wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus.Why overlooked was it? Well, after the Bears signed all their top free agents, head […]
The Chicago Bears were an active team this offseason in free agency building up the trenches with veteran help on the offensive and defensive lines, but one of the more overlooked additions made to the roster was wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus.
Why overlooked was it? Well, after the Bears signed all their top free agents, head coach Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles spoke with the media to detail how those players will fit in the locker room and the role they will play on the field.
After signing Zaccheaus, that press conference wasn't made. Although Zaccheaus did speak remotely with reporters, and you can view that press conference below.
What I'm getting at here is that we never got comments from Ben Johnson on how he plans to utilize Zaccheaus on offense and why the Bears sought to bring him in for the 2025 season.
Zaccheaus spent the 2024 season with the Washington Commanders and spoke about his connection with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and dove into how he plans to build of that experience working with his new quarterback in Caleb Williams.
What that looks like on the field is still anyone's guess, but based on his career so far, Zaccheaus seems to be the likely slot weapon in the passing game with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze on the outside, which is a key role in a Ben Johnson led offense.
"That's a very important point of emphasis for us is to get that spot right," Ben Johnson said during an exclusive interview with Adam Hoge of CHGO. "It doesn't matter if we make [the slot] primary or not, the ball tends to find its way there. So, we got to make sure we have a guy that's running very distinct routes at that position."
That's what led the Bears to zero in on Zaccheaus being that guy operating such a key position on offense, but he also has the versatility to move around allowing for Moore or Odunze to line up in the slot as well.
Zaccheaus is coming off a career season where he totaled 506 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions for the Commanders, 368 yards and all three touchdowns came from the slot.
To further emphasize that position in Ben Johnson's passing offense, Amon-Ra St. Brown led all WRs with 1,071 yards and nine touchdowns out of the slot in 2024.
"What [Zaccheaus] shows is elite run after the catch ability," Johnson added. "He's an immense competitor, he's got some speed… That excites me. We're going to really emphasize the run after catch, the blocking after catch, of our passing game to gain some hidden yardage that way. He really showed last year that's an area he excels."
Hearing Johnson talk about the team's newest weapon in the passing game like that certainly gives some added excitement for his potential in Chicago.
