The Bears are giving defensive end Jamree Kromah another shot to crack the active roster, signing him to a futures contract for the 2026 season. It’s a move that doesn’t make headlines, but it’s the kind of under-the-radar transaction that can quietly pay off down the road.
For those unfamiliar, a futures contract is essentially a ticket to compete - a way for teams to lock in players for the upcoming offseason and give them a chance to earn a spot when rosters expand for training camp. It doesn’t guarantee anything, but it keeps a player in the building and in the mix.
Kromah, 25, has taken the long road to this point. He started his college career at Rutgers before transferring to James Madison, where he put together a solid five-year run.
In 46 games, he racked up 97 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, and a fumble recovery. The production was there, but it wasn’t enough to hear his name called on draft weekend in 2024.
Still, the Bears saw something they liked and brought him in as an undrafted free agent. He didn’t make the 53-man roster out of camp, but he stuck around on the practice squad - until the Patriots came calling.
New England signed him to their active roster, giving him a brief taste of a different opportunity. But after being cut again, Kromah found his way back to Chicago’s practice squad, where he spent the entire 2025 season.
So far, he’s yet to log a snap in a regular-season NFL game. But that doesn’t mean the door’s closed. Futures deals are all about potential - and for a player like Kromah, who has already shown enough to stay on multiple teams’ radars, it’s another chance to prove he belongs.
The Bears’ defensive line room is competitive, but also not set in stone. If Kromah can flash during offseason workouts and make some noise in training camp, he could force the coaching staff to take a longer look. He’s already familiar with the system and the building, which gives him a leg up heading into the spring.
No guarantees, but no long shots either. Kromah’s journey is a reminder that in the NFL, persistence matters just as much as talent. And with this futures deal, he’s got one more opportunity to turn all those practice reps into something more.