Bears are next in line after a division rival to host a tryout with a former Super Bowl champ that can bring more speed on offense
The Chicago Bears have lined up a tryout with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Scotty Miller following his visit with the Detroit Lions.
With the 2026 NFL Draft now behind us, teams across the NFL are starting to line up tryouts and visits with remaining free agents and the Chicago Bears already have a name head coach Ben Johnson is interested in bringing in.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears have lined up a tryout next week with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Scotty Miller. The main problem? The Detroit Lions are bringing him in first on Tuesday.
Why the Bears are showing interest in Scotty Miller following the 2026 NFL Draft
Miller won a Super Bowl back in 2020 with the Bucs alongside future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. That season, Miller had a career-high 501 receiving yards and three touchdowns and was a real threat with his speed.
Speed is a top attribute the Bears have prioritized adding this offseason, on both sides of the ball. During the 2026 NFL Draft, the Bears reached well above consensus to select LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas in large part because of his 4.2 speed.
“He’s got a unique skillset, just in terms of, he’s a 4.2 guy,” Johnson said of Thomas. “Those guys don’t grow on trees.”
Coming into the draft in 2019, Miller posted a 4.39 40-yard-dash at his Pro Day and that speed was evident on the field once he entered the league. Just ask the Green Bay Packers, who learned that the hard way during the 2020 NFC Championship Game.
After adding a 4.2 guy in Zavion Thomas, it’s odd to see the Bears still want to bring in another speed-based wide receiver, even if it’s only for a tryout. However, Johnson has said all offseason that he wants to add the most competition possible going into the rest of the offseason program and eventually into the 2026 season.
Miller also could offer special teams competition as well. He’s a great gunner given his speed and logged 298 special teams snaps throughout his career.
Currently, the Bears wide receiver room consists of Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond, Thomas, Jahdae Walker, JP Richardson, Maurice Alexander, Squirrel White, and Omar Kelly. We’ll see if the Bears can get Miller in the building and if he impresses enough to join the room.