Former Bears preseason standouts wrap up successful first seasons in the UFL – but Chicago appears to have fully moved on
Former Chicago Bears undrafted free agent standouts Austin Reed and Ian Wheeler just wrapped up successful first seasons in the UFL, and their path back to the NFL might be with another team.
Two former Chicago Bears undrafted free agent standouts just wrapped up their first regular season of spring football in the UFL and turned in impressive showings over the last few weeks in hopes of enticing an NFL team.
Quarterback Austin Reed led the entire league with 21 passing touchdowns for the Dallas Renegades, who finished with a 4-6 record. Running back Ian Wheeler ranked second in the league with six rushing touchdowns for the Louisville Kings, who finished the regular season with a 6-4 record and now will compete in the UFL playoffs.
It was a great opportunity for both players to stand out this spring and hopefully catch the attention of the NFL once again to potentially earn a training camp invite. However, the path back to the NFL for either player is unlikely to be in Chicago.
Chicago Bears appear to be set at the quarterback position
Reed spent two years with the Bears in the quarterback room alongside Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent after going undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. Reed was a fan-favorite on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” during the 2024 training camp and got solid action in the preseason before landing on the practice squad.
The following season, Chicago had a whole new coaching staff and offense led by head coach Ben Johnson. The Bears also upped the competition in the quarterback room, adding a veteran presence in Case Keenum. After training camp and the preseason, the Bears elected not to keep Reed on the practice squad, despite Johnson claiming he saw a lot of himself in Reed.
Reed instead took his talents to the UFL and had a hot start to the season. Things quickly cooled down but he still finished the year with 1,923 passing yards (second in the UFL) and 21 passing touchdowns. The downside to his season was a 56.3 competition percentage and nine interceptions, which could cause teams to look the other way.
Chicago already has after signing undrafted free agent Miller Moss to the 90-man roster, who is already earning some solid praise from offensive coordinator Press Taylor.
Bears also added plenty of competition to the backfield behind D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai
Wheeler signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2024 as well. He was another fan-favorite throughout training camp and had a strong outing that preseason, including a two-touchdown performance against the Buffalo Bills. However, Wheeler suffered a torn ACL in the preseason finale that ended his first season in the NFL.
Chicago decided to keep Wheeler on the team and gave him another shot to prove himself during the 2025 offseason. Ultimately, the Bears decided to keep Roschon Johnson as the RB3 on the 53-man roster behind D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai with Brittain Brown taking the final spot on the practice squad.
Wheeler briefly signed onto the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad before being released last December. He then signed with the UFL, rushing for 370 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards/attempt heading into the postseason.
He would be an intriguing add for an NFL team. Unfortunately, the Bears have already stacked the position after adding UDFA rookie Coleman Bennett and veteran Salvon Ahmed to the room behind the four players the team kept last season.