Recent actions by the Bears confirmed Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles are still hard at work while the team is on break
The Chicago Bears were still hard at work at the team facilities on Monday after signing a new defender and working out a wide receiver while the rest of the team is on summer break.
The Chicago Bears sent the players home last Thursday after the final day of mandatory minicamp for the start of the summer break, set to last roughly six weeks until the team returns for the start of training camp in late July.
However, the rest of the organization is still hard at work over the break including head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles. And that was proved to be the case with the latest actions the team took on Monday.
Chicago Bears expected to sign UFL standout LB Tony Fields II
The first bit of news made by the Bears this week was the news that the team is expected to sign UFL standout linebacker Tony Fields II following the conclusion of the league’s spring season. Fields totaled 77 tackles for the Columbus Aviators, the second-highest total in the entire league.
Fields formerly played four seasons with the Cleveland Browns from 2021-2024 appearing in 45 games with 10 total starts. He was drafted by the Browns in the fifth-round. He didn’t quite find his footing in the NFL but he became an All-Star caliber player in the UFL, earning himself another crack at an NFL roster in Chicago.
The signing has not officially been announced by the team and once it is, the Bears would have to make a corresponding move to free up a roster spot on the 91-man roster.
Bears kicking the tires on a potential reunion with Shaun Wade
The expected signing of Fields wasn’t the only UFL news coming out of Chicago on Monday. The Bears held a workout with cornerback Shaun Wade after a successful season with the Dallas Renegades that included three interceptions and 24 tackles.
Wade was a former fifth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2021 and appeared in 20 regular season games with the New England Patriots during his first stint in the NFL. He’s also a name Bears fans might remember from last year’s training camp roster.
Bears also held a workout with WR Kristian Wilkerson on Monday
The Bears also held a work out with veteran wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson. Wilkerson previously spent time with the New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and Buffalo Bills.
Wilkerson appeared in just nine regular season games (five with the Raiders and four with the Patriots) since joining the league in 2020 as an undrafted free agent. His last stop was on Buffalo’s practice squad back in January before being released soon after signing.
No deal is imminent, yet, with Wilkerson but he’s a name worth watching out for on the team’s free agent short-list.
Ben Johnson is making it clear how he feels about two positions heading into training camp
Now, neither of these moves are needle movers for this roster. But, it does show which positions Ben Johnson is keeping tabs on (and willing to add to in Fields case).
Adding a linebacker wasn’t a surprise. The Bears have spent the entire offseason rebuilding that room and dealt with multiple injuries at the linebacker position throughout the spring, including D’Marco Jackson and rookie Keyshawn Elliott. The Bears are also still down one body in the room with Noah Sewell, who’s still rehabbing from a season-ending injury. Once Fields is officially signed, it’ll be worth checking in to see if another LB gets dropped.
Given the injury situation with Kyler Gordon and the uncertainty about his availability when training camp opens, it’s not a surprise to see the Bears kick the tires on Wade again. He knows the system and can step in right away if he’s signed. I doubt a signing will happen anytime soon though, at least until the staff gets a look at Gordon’s recovery status after the next six weeks.
As for wide receiver, Ben Johnson has already been on the record this offseason stating how you can never have enough healthy wide receivers during the summer months to help keep everyone fresh. If anything were to happen to any receiver on the roster, Wilkerson could be a camp body worth bringing in.