Why Sam Roush and Zavion Thomas may be more involved in the Chicago Bears offense in 2026 than one expert is projecting
ESPN’s Mike Clay isn’t projecting big things out of Chicago Bears rookie pass catchers Sam Roush and Zavion Thomas in 2026, here’s why the two new weapons may be more involved than many might expect.
The Chicago Bears are going to have some exciting pieces to feed on offense going into the second season under head coach Ben Johnson, presenting a similar internal problem when it comes to keeping so many targets happy.
Just looking at the passing game, the Bears’ offense will be led by three main players in Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Colston Loveland. Behind those three, Johnson will have plenty of weapons to mix-n-match within the offense.
ESPN’s Mike Clay released his 2026 stat projections and expects big things out of Chicago’s top three pass catchers. Behind those three, the projections drop off, especially looking at the two new rookies added during the draft. And those two might be more involved than many are anticipating on the outside.
Chicago Bears rookies Sam Roush and Zavion Thomas have super slow 2026 projections
Rise of the multi-TE offense and how it can give Sam Roush plenty of opportunities
Let’s start with third-round tight end Sam Roush. Despite having Loveland and Cole Kmet in the tight end room, the Bears staff still felt it was necessary to add a third tight end to the mix to help replace Durham Smythe’s role as a blocking tight end. However, the player the Bears specifically chose gives Johnson a player he can do more with.
Roush will be a hard player for Johnson to keep off the field. He’s a perfect fit as a zone blocker to aid in the run game while adding athleticism and the ability to bounce off defenders that can make him a sneaky pass catcher as well.
Teams are leaning more toward 12 and 13 personnel packages in the league and the next wave is passing more out of those sets with multiple tight ends. Roush will be a hidden weapon for this team who can leak out on play-actions and make defenses pay. Projecting four receptions for 34 yards is way too low for the way I imagine Johnson can use him.
Zavion Thomas’ speed will get him involved in a variety of different ways
As for Zavion Thomas, the team’s third-round wide receiver, his 4.28 speed will force the staff to get him involved in some capacity even in a crowded wide receiver room. Thomas’ main impact as a rookie will come as a returner on special teams but how the Bears integrate him into the offense will be just as exciting.
Thomas’ speed can threaten teams vertically down the field and horizontally as well. He also showcased great YAC ability that can make him deadly on screens. This doesn’t even factor in his rushing upside both on jet sweeps / end arounds and lining up in the backfield.
Clay’s projections did not account for Thomas’ rushing upside at all and only projected 34 receiving yards. He can easily get that just off one reception either on a deep ball or screen.
Final Thoughts
I’m not sitting here and saying that Roush and Thomas will be major pieces in this offense this upcoming season. But, both players will still get plenty of opportunities to produce in clearly defined roles. They’re not going to be 400+ snap guys in 2026, but they’ll still be able to be threats when they’re on the field.
All of it, of course, depends on how quickly these two players can understand the offense and earn trust from the staff. As we learned last season, that’s going to take time. However, it’s clear the early projections aren’t giving these two rookies enough credit for what they can potentially bring to this unit in Year 1.