With Dillon Thieneman and Jordan Van Den Berg eating up most of the headlines throughout Chicago Bears training camp, it’s been easy for other members of the 2026 draft class to go unnoticed. Wide receiver Zavion Thomas has flashed multiple times in practice. Center Logan Jones had his best performance so far against Cincinnati in the preseason. Cornerback Malik Muhammad is improving rapidly despite having to play nickel in Kyler Gordon’s absence. Yet the one who might be worth mentioning the most is Sam Roush.
The tight end entered a tough situation with Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet already ahead of him on the depth chart. However, head coach Ben Johnson insisted Roush would have significant value to this team. Demonstrations of that have been popping up much more recently, both in his trademark blocking and pass-catching. Adam Hoge of CHGO says Thursday’s joint practice in Tennessee was a shining moment for Roush, who delivered some big catches that have Johnson and others excited.
Roush was on the receiving end of a pass from Williams, but also caught a fade in the back of the end zone from Keenum.
“He’s building that trust,” Johnson said about Roush. “There’s flashes where he gets you really, really excited. Is it at the level of consistency that we want yet? No. The answer is no. And I’m not surprised by that either. Yet, I think he’s going to be a phenomenal football player for a long time in this league.”
Rookie tight ends tend to go through some growing pains, particularly because of how much they are involved in every aspect of the offense.
“I think it’s right up there with quarterback, just in terms of the amount of mental strain that we put on these guys, run game, pass pro, route running, and the faster we can get him to play, the better off he’s going to be in the long run,” Johnson said.
Sam Roush is in a great spot.
He doesn’t carry any of the pressure of having to perform immediately, as some rookies would. Loveland and Kmet will garner most of the attention at tight end. That leaves Roush free to focus on his job. When he does see the field, he should be well-prepared and unconcerned about the spotlight being on him. Fans won’t be focusing on the #3 tight end, just like they didn’t notice Durham Smythe last season. The difference is that Roush is a far greater threat than his predecessor was.
That is why the Bears drafted him in the first place. They utilized three tight ends plenty last season. Smythe didn’t show up much because he didn’t offer much upside as a pass-catcher. It is becoming clear that Sam Roush is different. He is much more like Kmet than he is Smythe, a nice blend of blocking and receiving ability. Having two tight ends who bring matchup advantages is a luxury—having three? That is reserved for the chosen few. What can defenses do about that? Even if they put a top cornerback on Loveland, it means either Kmet or Roush will be covered by a linebacker. That is a mismatch.
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Depth has become very real on the Bears’ offense.
Be honest with yourselves. Has there ever been a time when Chicago had a lineup of skill position players this deep in franchise history? You have Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Kalif Raymond, Jahdae Walker, and 3rd round pick Zavion Thomas at wide receiver. Then you have Loveland, Kmet, and Roush at tight end. The sheer volume of options available to Caleb Williams is on a level no Bears quarterback has seen before. Johnson and GM Ryan Poles won’t apologize for their approach. Building around the quarterback should be priority #1 of every organization.
Roush is like a knight in chess. He is far from the most important piece, but he can impact the board in ways you don’t expect. Considering how much Coach Johnson loves his chess pieces, it makes more sense than ever why he gravitated to the tight end. He may not be the central character in this story, but he has an important role to play, and his impact may stretch further than people think.
