As the old adage goes, thanks to former Chicago Bears wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, Chicago is where wide receivers go to die.
The arrival of DJ Moore seems to have helped the Bears finally push back against that narrative, but the Keenan Allen failed experiment from the 2024 season is a reminder that if a wide receiver is a Pro-Bowler elsewhere, there is no guarantee of them being a Pro-Bowler for the Bears.
For a second consecutive offseason, the Bears have turned over their wide receiver depth chart. Moore still sits at the top as the Bears' primary wide receiver, but second-year wide receiver Rome Odunze is now expected to take Allen's role in the Bears' offense. Behind Moore and Odunze, the Bears have promising rookie Lurther Burden III. There's then a slew of receivers in Olamide Zaccheaus, Tyler Scott, Devin Duvernay, and Miles Boykin competing to round out the Bears' wide receiver depth chart.
If nothing else, from top to bottom, this is the most depth that the Bears have ever had at the wide receiver position in a long time.
The Bears' wide receiver room has come a long way
Gone are the days when the Bears have to act like Darnell Mooney is a No. 1 wide receiver for any NFL team. Or, expecting Equanimeous St. Brown or Dante Pettis to be valued contributors on offense.
Interestingly enough, Pro Football Focus does seem to throw shade at Cole Kmet. While Colston Loveland may be expected to have the "Sam LaPorta" role in the Bears' offense under Ben Johnson, Kmet won't become an afterthought. Even with Burden's arrival, Kmet is still expected to have a valuable role in the offense moving forward.
Now, naysayers may be quick to point out that this is the same thing that was said last offseason with the arrivals of Allen and Odunze. They aren't wrong. Entering last season, the Bears' trio of wide receiver were considered to be one of the best positional groupings in the NFL.
What the Bears hopeis different this year is that Caleb Williams takes a leap forward in his second-year in the NFL. Beyond that, the improved offensive line should buy Williams more time to find his wide receivers in open space. If nothing else, he will once again have options if the offensive line gives him time to dissect the defense.