Training camp is about to get crowded fast for the Chicago Bears’ wide receivers, and Maurice Alexander is staring at a brutal path.
With 11 receivers on the roster and only five or six spots likely available, the math is working against almost everybody in the room. Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond, rookie Zavion Thomas, and Jahdae Walker are already looking like roster locks, which could leave just one opening for the rest of the group if the Bears are lucky.
That puts the pressure squarely on the fringe players, and Alexander is one of the names in the mix. He’s in a tougher spot than ever, because the competition for that final job is stacked and there are other receivers chasing it too, including Scotty Miller and JP Richardson.
Alexander’s route to this point has already been a winding one. He began his pro career after a strong USFL run with the Philadelphia Stars in 2022, then signed with the Detroit Lions.
From there, he spent three seasons under Ben Johnson, who was the offensive coordinator in Detroit and is now the Bears’ head coach. In 2022, Alexander had one catch for seven yards.
He came to Chicago last year trying to win a place on the 53-man roster and flashed in the preseason, finishing with nine catches for 71 yards and one touchdown. Even that wasn’t enough to stick, though, and he spent the entire season on the practice squad.
Now he’s back, but the road is even steeper. Alexander knows Johnson’s system, which helps, but it may not matter much if the receiver group keeps looking this deep. If he wants to hang onto his NFL career, he’ll have to show up to camp ready to fight for every rep.
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