Ben Johnson narrows down his free agent wide receiver search, bringing in a former All-Pro returner to Chicago
Ben Johnson had a specific goal when he woke up this week and that goal was finally adding some speed to the Chicago Bears wide receiver room.The search started on Monday when the Bears hosted free agents Rondale Moore and Mecole Hardman on in-house visits. On Tuesday, Hardman signed with the Green Bay Packers instead […]
Ben Johnson had a specific goal when he woke up this week and that goal was finally adding some speed to the Chicago Bears wide receiver room.
The search started on Monday when the Bears hosted free agents Rondale Moore and Mecole Hardman on in-house visits. On Tuesday, Hardman signed with the Green Bay Packers instead and Moore took his second visit since leaving Chicago on Wednesday.
Well, it turns out Johnson wasn't too interested in either player after the meeting because the Bears are going in their own direction as well. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Bears reached a one-year deal with Devin Duvernay.
The former third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft spent the first four seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens and established himself as one of the top returners in the league.
Duvernay was named to back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2021 and 2022 and was a first-team All-Pro in 2021 after returning 28 kicks for 676 yards and 26 punts for 360 yards. His career in Baltimore included two kickoff return touchdowns as well.
However, after his rookie deal expired, Duvernay signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars last offseason as a free agent and played 13 games with 33 total returns. After one season, the Jaguars opted to release Duvernay prior to the start of free agency.
Clearly, the Bears were looking for a return specialist more than an offensive weapon to round out the WR room, but with a creative mind like Ben Johnson, don't rule anything out when it comes to using Duvernay on offense.
With the Ravens, Duvernay's best offensive season came in 2022 when he hauled in 37 receptions for 407 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 84 yards and another touchdown on the ground.
The Bears made a similar move last offseason looking to add a top return option by signing Deandre Carter in the middle of the summer. Carter handled the majority of the return duties during the 2024 season, averaging 31.9 yards per kickoff return and 9.3 yards per punt return.
Duvernay is a much more dangerous threat to have in the building based on his production with the Ravens.
Bears updated roster following free agent additions, including the top positions of need leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft
Here’s how the team currently looks in Chicago.
