The Chicago Bears signed Jamree Kromah as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He’d had a difficult climb in his college career, failing to accomplish much in three years at Rutgers before transferring to James Madison. He finally had a breakout season in 2023, racking up 10 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss. There was lots to like about him. He had good size, a hot motor, and plenty of strength. With further development, he could turn into a legitimate NFL defensive end. While he didn’t make the roster, Kromah was stashed on the practice squad.
That is where he stayed for the next two years.
People mostly forgot about him in that time. They saw him as a side project the team tinkered with but had little use for outside of practice. So you can imagine the shock when the 2026 preseason arrived and Kromah dominated the opener against Cleveland. He had 6 pressures, 2 sacks, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble, and a critical tackle for a loss that forced a turnover on downs. It was a stellar performance. What stood out was how quickly he was getting off the ball, something that hadn’t been his strength in the past two years.
Jamree Kromah followed the path of a former Bears hero.
Adult fans are likely to remember the name Israel Idonije. Chicago brought the Canadian-born player in as an undrafted rookie in 2003. Over the next few years, he carved out a home on special teams, but the Bears always saw untapped potential as a pass rusher. That is when the coaches decided to try something. They asked Idonije to cut a significant amount of weight. Having been 275 lbs up to that point, he dropped down to 260 going into the 2009 season. The flashes started showing more often, and in 2010, he broke out for 8 sacks.
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After the game on Saturday, Kromah revealed that he did the same thing this offseason. Having played at 275 as well through his first two years, he’s reportedly lost 20 lbs to a sleek 255. That is why he looks quicker and more explosive. Even head coach Ben Johnson has seen it.
“You see it in the springtime, the new techniques we’re coaching with and he’s flashing, but you wonder if this is when he turns it on. In a game like this, you see the get-off, the relentlessness, and you feel his presence every snap. The D-linemen were hooting and hollering for him because they see him making plays. He’s such a hard worker who’s been in the program for a minute, so seeing him have success on the field is huge.”
Safe to say he has the coaches’ attention. They’ve seen progress in practice and now in a game situation. The final test is the most difficult. Can he carry it through the rest of the preseason?
There is a legitimate opportunity in front of him.
The Bears have a desperate need for pass rush help. Outside of Montez Sweat and Austin Booker, nobody stood out last season. Dayo Odeyingbo is back from his Achilles injury but remains an unknown quantity. Shemar Turner won’t return from his torn ACL for some time. Daniel Hardy is a great special teams player, but a limited rusher. Jamree Kromah has a window. The Bears left it wide open by not adding any legitimate veteran free agents or draft picks in the spring. They want somebody to step up. Like Idonije all those years ago, he is taking advantage.
This would be one of the coolest stories to come out of Halas Hall in a long time. Probably not since the rise of Roy Robertson-Harris has an undrafted defensive lineman become a viable member of the rotation. Kromah is so close now. All eyes are on him, anxious to see what he can do for an encore next week. With Sweat recovering from an injury and Booker unlikely to see much action out of caution, he should see plenty of snaps.
