When the Chicago Bears were looking to create a soft landing for Caleb Williams ahead of last season, veteran wide receiver Gabe Davis was a free agent many fans had earmarked for Chicago.
During his first four seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Davis appeared to be on the ascent as one of the more dynamic wide receivers in the NFL. Davis totaled 2,750 receiving yards with the Bills during those seasons and added 27 touchdowns.
Davis' success with the Bills is one of the reasons why the Bears pursued him at the start of free agency last year. Despite offering a similar deal, Davis signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a preference to go back to the state where he was born and play for his former coach with the Bills. Davis' deal with the Jaguars was worth $39MM for 3 years.
One year after signing that deal, Davis is now a free agent. The Jaguars announced on Wednesday that Davis has been released.
Jaguars have released WR Gabe Davis.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 7, 2025
Injuries limited Davis to 10 games with the Jaguars last season. During those 10 games, Davis' production was forgettable as he totaled 239 yards on 20 receptions with only two touchdowns. With the emergence of Brian Thomas Jr. last season, along with the Jaguars moving up in this year's draft to select Travis Hunter, Davis was quickly being factored out of Jacksonville's offense moving forward.
Ironically, the two wide receivers the Bears coveted last offseason are now free agents with Keenan Allen also still on the market. Of course, the Bears were successful in their targeting of Allen last year, trading a fourth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers. As with Davis' tenure with the Jaguars, Allen's time with the Bears wasn't considered a success.
There likely won't be much interest from the Bears in bringing back Allen or pursuing Davis. With Colston Loveland and Luther Burden added to the offense during the draft, the Bears' offense seems to be at full capacity with regard to their playmakers.