Ryan Poles was back in a familiar spot this weekend: in the stands at a college football game, scouting future NFL talent while the season is still barely getting started.
This time, the Bears general manager made the trip to California to watch Miami face Stanford. It was the second straight year Poles has taken in a Hurricanes game, after attending Miami-Notre Dame last year. And while Miami rolled to a 45-6 win over the Cardinal, the bigger takeaway for Chicago was who Poles was likely there to evaluate.
A few Miami players fit the Bears’ needs neatly, starting with running back Mark Fletcher Jr. Fletcher didn’t have a loud day statistically, finishing with 40 rushing yards and 10 receiving yards, but he remains a name to keep in mind as a possible 2027 NFL Draft back. If Chicago eventually looks for a successor to D’Andre Swift next offseason, Fletcher could be in that conversation.
The Bears also have a habit of paying close attention to wide receivers, which puts Cooper Barkate on the radar too. Barkate came away with four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown, and he could be the kind of option Chicago considers if it needs help filling a WR3 role behind Kalif Raymond.
On the defensive side, edge rusher Damon Wilson II is another player who may have caught the Bears’ eye. Wilson’s stat line in this game was limited to one pass deflection, but his production at Missouri last year - nine sacks - shows the kind of pass-rushing upside that can translate to the NFL.
There’s also help to be found on the defensive line. Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott both belong on the list of players Chicago could have been tracking, especially with the Bears looking to get younger up front and add more run-stopping depth.
Linebacker Mohamed Toure rounds out the group of possible targets. He finished second on Miami with five tackles in the game, and he could fit as a developmental depth piece at linebacker. That position has already been a focus for Chicago, with the Bears selecting linebackers in each of the last two drafts.
In Other News...
Bears Suddenly Have A Running Back Depth Question Worth Watching
The Bears got a brief scare at running back this week when both Kyle Monangai and DAndre Swift dealt with injuries, a reminder of how quickly the position can thin out behind the starters. The good news is that neither situation appears to be a long-term concern, but it was enough to put a spotlight on the depth chart and how fragile that room can look when two backs are suddenly on the injury report at once.
For now, Chicago is not in emergency mode, but it has quietly become a spot to monitor if the team needs another body behind Swift and Monangai. Around the league, there are several running backs sitting on other teams practice squads who could make sense as short-term insurance if the Bears decide they want extra protection at a position where one more setback can change the conversation quickly. [Read more 🡒]
These Bears Will Carry The Pressure Of Chicagos 2026 Hopes
As the Bears head toward the regular season, a familiar kind of pressure is settling onto the roster: this is a team trying to turn a promising collection of talent into something that actually holds up when the games count. The attention naturally falls on the players expected to shape the offense and stabilize the line of scrimmage, with Cole Kmet, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Colston Loveland, Darnell Wright and Joe Thuney all carrying different pieces of that burden, while Montez Sweat and Jaylon Johnson remain central to what Chicago wants to be on defense.
The bigger question is not whether the Bears have names worth watching, but whether enough of them can absorb the added responsibility created by injuries and still keep the season on track. Dillon Thieneman is part of that wider conversation too, because every layer of the roster matters when expectations are this high and the margin for error is thin. Chicago does not need every player to be a star, but it does need the right ones to be ready when the pressure starts to rise. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Veterans Suddenly Have A Lot Riding On This Season
A handful of familiar Bears faces are spending this season with something bigger than weekly production hanging over them. DAndre Swift, Garrett Bradbury, Braxton Jones, Tyrique Stevenson and Dayo Odeyingbo all enter the year with their futures in Chicago either uncertain or down to a final year, which gives their play a little extra weight as the season unfolds. For some, it is about proving they can hold their jobs. For others, it is about showing the Bears that a longer stay is worth the investment.
That kind of setup makes every snap feel a little more meaningful, especially on a roster still sorting out which pieces are part of the long-term plan. Contract decisions, performance trends and possible roster turnover are all looming in the background, and the Bears could end up facing some tough calls if these players do not separate themselves. For a team trying to build something more stable, this is the kind of season that can shape both the present and the next offseason. [Read more 🡒]