The Bears have checked off the final rookie contract on their list, and with that, one more bit of pre-camp business is out of the way. Rookie third-round pick Sam Roush has signed his deal, ending the last bit of uncertainty before Chicago heads toward training camp.
Roush’s contract runs four years and is worth $7.35 million.
Chicago made Roush the final rookie to get under contract, a small but necessary step with about two weeks left before training camp and the start of the 2026 season.
The Bears drafted Roush in the third round after a strong final season at Stanford. He finished that year with 49 catches for 545 yards and two touchdowns, production that helped put him on Chicago’s radar.
His arrival fits neatly into what the Bears want to be on offense in 2026. The team is planning to lean more heavily on 13-personnel, with three tight ends on the field. Colston Loveland is set to lead the group as the top tight end, with Cole Kmet behind him.
Roush’s job, at least early on, is expected to be more about the dirty work. Chicago sees him as the blocking tight end it needed this offseason, someone who can help in both run and pass protection while Loveland and Kmet handle more of the receiving load.
That said, Roush is not being dismissed as a one-dimensional player. His Stanford tape showed he can catch the ball, too, even if he entered the draft with a reputation as the top blocking tight end in the class.
Long term, the Bears appear to be eyeing Roush as the future backup tight end. That matters because Kmet’s future with the team is not locked in, whether that change comes this season through a trade or release, or next offseason. If Roush develops the way Chicago hopes, a Loveland-Roush pairing could be the next version of the position group.
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