The Chicago Bears have been putting their 2026 draft class to work early in training camp. Safety Dillon Thieneman is firmly entrenched as a starter on defense. Center Logan Jones is battling Garrett Bradbury at center. Wide receiver Zavion Thomas is showcasing his speed and versatility. Cornerback Malik Muhammad is competing at the nickel corner spot with Kyler Gordon out. The one same who has been mostly overlooked to this point, at least by local media, is tight end Sam Roush.
That isn’t overly surprising. So much of the attention at that position has gone to Colston Loveland, who is dominating camp thus far. Cole Kmet has also gotten his fair share of work. People don’t tend to pay much mind to the third guy on the depth chart. Ben Solak of ESPN thinks that is a mistake. He attended a Bears practice recently and noticed something right away. Roush was getting lots of work with the starting offense, and he was being utilized in different ways.
“I saw a lot more Sam Roush with the first team than I expected. The rookie tight end out of Stanford was a draft darling of mine. At 6-foot-6 and 267 pounds, with a rugby background, Roush is capable of displacing defensive ends in one-on-one assignments. The Bears experimented with No. 3 tight end Durham Smythe as a fullback in 2025, and I’d wager we see Roush in that role — with increased frequency — in 2026. Smythe had 335 snaps throughout the regular season and playoffs. Roush might push 400.”
Sam Roush will be a classic stat sheet ghost.
That means he will have a significant impact on games without people ever noticing it. They’ll be focused on his stat line, wondering about his low number of catches. It’s been clear from the beginning that Chicago didn’t draft him for that. While he will get his occasional chances to make plays, his primary value comes as a blocker. Roush can do it from anywhere: in line, out wide, or from the backfield. His dedication to the craft was impossible to ignore during his time at Stanford.
Giving somebody like that to Ben Johnson is asking for pain. The Bears’ head coach is one of the most creative in the NFL. He always finds ways to utilize every tool in the box. Giving him a blocking weapon like Sam Roush may not have looked like a mistake at the time, but that could soon change. The rookie will be a major presence in the run game from the start and should also double as added help against strong edge rushers. That will free up Loveland to do what he does best.
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Picks like this always end up mattering more than people realize.
A perfect example of this is Dennis Gentry. Most fans probably don’t know the time because he gets lost in the vast array of Hall of Famers he played with in the 1980s. He was a 4th round pick who ended up serving as a gadget piece on offense while also becoming a great kick returner. His stats never jumped out, but his impact on those teams was significantly felt. Roush could end up being the same. Stat monitors won’t notice him. However, people who watch the tape will likely see the tight end delivering some crucial blocks in every game.
This serves as a reminder that not everybody gets to be the star. Teams must be able to supplement the roster with gritty role players. Guys who don’t mind doing the dirty work. Roush is the epitome of that. He is somebody fans won’t notice much, but teammates and coaches will come to love. It can’t always be about flash in the draft. Sometimes you need regular meat and potatoes.
