Ben Johnson lands hard-working, team-first player giving Chicago the ideal WR3 to round out the position behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze
After addressing the major needs in the trenches, everyone expected the next signing to the Chicago Bears to be at the wide receiver position.The Bears already had two established studs in the room in DJ Moore and Rome Odunze but needed someone who could fully round out the position in Ben Johnson's offense.During his time […]
After addressing the major needs in the trenches, everyone expected the next signing to the Chicago Bears to be at the wide receiver position.
The Bears already had two established studs in the room in DJ Moore and Rome Odunze but needed someone who could fully round out the position in Ben Johnson's offense.
During his time with the Detroit Lions, Johnson always had a consistent trait in mind for his WR3 behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. He wanted someone who could be dependable with the ball and willing to do the dirty work.
At first, that guy was Josh Reynolds. Someone Johnson spoke very highly of during his time in Detroit. After Reynolds left in free agency last spring, the Lions eventually found their new guy for that role in Tim Patrick.
Both players were on the free agent market and many, including myself, wondered if Johnson would reunite with either player to be the Bears WR3. Instead, he's going with another option, but one who still fits the bill for what exactly he's looking for.
According to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero, the Bears have decided to go with Olamide Zaccheaus for the WR3 role.
Zaccheaus is coming off the best season of his career working with a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels with the Washington Commanders. In his one season in Washington, Zaccheaus hauled in 45 receptions for 506 yards and three touchdowns.
Zaccheaus was never one of the top guys in the passing attack for the Commanders but still managed to put up some solid numbers. While he played both in the slot and out-wide, his skillset is best suited inside, which allows Moore and Odunze to operate on the perimeter. He also has some returning experience as well on special teams.
As an undrafted player, Zaccheaus will be going into his seventh NFL season with the Bears. A testament not only to his ability, but to his team-first mentality, something Ben Johnson clearly took note of.
"Olamide Zaccheaus, or “OZ”, had the best year of his career in 2024 and proved to be a true team-first receiver that can make plays but is also willing to do the dirty work. In fact, his buy-in and willingness to be a team player played a large role in the Jahan Dotson trade, as the former first-rounder was quickly exposed as a guy who didn’t fit the culture Dan Quinn was implementing. He’s a very solid WR3/4 option, but don’t expect him to ascend past that level. And that’s fine – OZ can certainly help whatever team he’s on, even with a limited ceiling." – A to Z Sports Washington's Evan Winter
This guy is going to fit right into what the Bears are building on offense under Ben Johnson. He might not be the player we had in mind for the role, but I guarantee he's going to surprise a lot of people with his effort in 2025.
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