Welcome to the 2026 Chicago Bears Season Preview on Bears By 7, a player-by-player look at the team's roster and their chances.

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Sam Roush spent four productive years in Palo Alto, the alma mater of Bears tight ends coach Jim Dray. A team captain in 2025, Roush made a career-high 49 catches for a career-high 545 yard and two touchdown. He led all ACC tight ends in receiving yard, tied for the lead in catches and was named second-team All-ACC behind NC State’s Justin Joly, who had seven touchdown catches in 2025. (Joly was drafted by the Broncos 83 picks after the Bears selected Roush.)

What separated Roush from the rest of the tight ends in his class is his athletic testing. His 9.94 Relative Athletic Score was the best of any tight end at the combine.

The selection of Roush drew immediate groans from Bears fans who wanted more help in the front seven, not another tight end with Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland already in the fold. But the later logic provided some clarity: Ben Johnson wants to run heavy 12 and 13 personnel, which rely on three tight end sets. The departure of Durham Smythe from the Bears roster created a need for what Roush brings to the table.

Barring an injury, Roush won’t go higher than TE3 in 2026 as he learns the complexities of the offense. Receptions and yards will likely be few and far between. But the Bears wouldn’t have used the 69th pick on him if they didn’t see real potential on a post-Kmet roster. His athleticism shows that a path toward becoming a true offensive threat in future years is a real possibility.

Read More Previews Cole Kmet • Colston Loveland • Caleb Williams • Full Preview Archive