As training camp opens for the Bears, the loudest conversations are easy to find. Caleb Williams taking a big step.
Kyler Gordon getting fully healthy. Braxton Jones finding his old form again.
But the most intriguing best-case scenario might be buried much deeper on the roster.
Jamree Kromah is the kind of name most fans may not know yet, and that’s exactly why he fits the surprise angle. The Bears have a real need at defensive end, and in a room where help is still needed, every body matters. Kromah is one of the more overlooked options in that mix.
His path to this point has already taken a few turns. He entered the league in 2024 as an undrafted free agent out of James Madison, signed with the Bears, and landed on their practice squad. The New England Patriots then signed him to their active roster in September, only for him to return to the Bears’ practice squad in October.
Chicago brought him back again the following year, keeping him on the 2025 practice squad and later signing him to another reserve/future contract earlier this year.
Even now, heading into Year 3, Kromah still has not played a regular-season snap. But that’s also what makes him one of the more interesting camp names to watch. The Bears need pass-rush help, and they need someone to emerge from the pile.
Kromah’s college production at James Madison gave him a case to keep hanging around. In his final season there, he finished with 59 total tackles, 19.5 for loss, 10.0 sacks, and a fumble recovery.
Yes, it came in the Sun Belt Conference. Still, the Bears saw enough to keep him in the building for two straight years as a practice-squad developmental player.
At 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds, he’s a somewhat undersized defensive lineman, but he’s entering camp with a real shot to make noise. He’s in the mix with Daniel Hardy, another former undrafted free agent, and Shemar Turner, who missed his entire rookie season because of injury.
Montez Sweat and Austin Booker are roster locks, and Dayo Odeyingbo essentially has to be on the team because of his contract. After that, the door is open.
That’s where Kromah comes in.
His pre-draft evaluations included notes about “jarring pop in his hands,” “Great awareness and response quickness to play design,” “impressive length,” and “plus determination and execution getting to RBs and QBs in short spaces.”
Those are the kind of traits that can matter in the NFL. And if Kromah has developed enough over the last two years, the Bears could be looking at the kind of camp surprise they badly need.
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Ryan Poles May Already Have A Contingency Plan For Kyler Gordon
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If Gordon is slowed, Chicago would have to lean on a combination of in-house options or get creative in the market to stabilize the slot. One name that has surfaced is a former Bear now with the Cowboys, a defender who showed well in last years preseason and knows the organization, even if his recent tape has been shaped by the broader mess in Dallas secondary. The Bears are still sorting through how urgent this situation is, but the next move could tell you a lot about how aggressive they plan to be. [Read more 🡒]
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Ben Solaks projection points to a possible deadline-style move for the 2026 season if the Bears offense takes the kind of step that changes the front offices calculus. It is still firmly in the realm of speculation, but it is the sort of rumor that lands because it connects need, timing and roster management in a way Bears fans can immediately picture, especially with DAndre Swift entering the final year of his deal and the backfield still not fully settled. [Read more 🡒]