By far the most interesting story of Chicago Bears training camp is Kaden Davis. Here’s a guy who arrived in the NFL years ago as an undrafted free agent and almost never saw action, spending most of his time on various practice squads. That is why he made occasional jumps to spring leagues, most recently the UFL with the Houston Gamblers. There, he served primarily as a kick returner. Some players might’ve been discouraged by continued disappointment like that. Not Davis. He kept grinding away, accepting a tryout from the Bears after the UFL season concluded.
It went well, and the team signed him to a contract to join them for camp. From there, Davis has become the talk of Halas Hall. Every day, it feels like he’s making a big play. That carried over into the preseason opener against Cleveland, where the receiver popped off for 88 yards in the first half. It was no different Thursday in the joint practice with Cincinnati. Davis caught a touchdown from Caleb Williams during drills. Adam Jahns of CHGO believes he has already done enough to secure a spot. However, it isn’t just because of the production.
Davis has another advantage that immediately appeals to this coaching staff: his field speed.
Kaden Davis might be proving an NFL maxim true again.
Sometimes, where you play matters as much as how you play. There have been many instances where young players land in systems or circumstances that just aren’t conducive to their development. All-Pro tackle Terron Armstead once said that he’s had plenty of coaches who know how to coach, but few who know how to teach. Maybe that was part of the problem for Davis. He needed time and patience. Unfortunately, he wasn’t afforded much because he was an undrafted free agent. Only high draft choices get the benefit of the doubt these days.
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Now, at age 27, it looks like Kaden Davis has matured. He runs good routes and understands how to fully weaponize his speed. That is why he keeps getting open. Most importantly, he’s in an offense led by coaches who are well-equipped to give him the tools he needs to improve. With two weeks left until final cuts, it feels like this is the closest he’s ever been to outright making an NFL roster. While this may not lead to much work on Sundays, it would still be a tremendous accomplishment.
This is no time to ease off the gas pedal.
The Bears are deep at wide receiver. Several other players are still battling for that final spot. There is still another preseason game and another joint practice coming up soon. If Davis plateaus and somebody else catches fire, the coaches could be left with a tough decision. This is a situation where he must keep fighting every day to make sure all the work he’s done doesn’t go to waste. One misstep can unravel everything. He should know this by now, having experienced the cut cycle many times.
Davis wouldn’t be the first unlikely success story the Bears have plucked from obscurity. Every once in a while, they happen to stumble across a journeyman who ends up contributing far more than expected. Josh Bellamy was one such example. He bounced between teams for a couple of years as an undrafted free agent before finding his footing in Chicago. Five years later, he finished with 999 yards and five touchdowns as a primary reserve. Davis is fully capable of following that same template.
