Bears Expected to Cut Bait With Speedy Pass-Catcher, Relative Draft Bust
The Chicago Bears are circling their first unofficial 53-man roster, due at the end of August, and one speedy playmaker could soon find himself on the chopping block.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report contended on August 14 that wide receiver Tyler Scott is the top cut candidate as the end of the preseason nears.
“There was a time when it appeared Tyler Scott might actually make a name for himself in Chicago. As a rookie, he made four starts and caught 17 passes for 168 yards in 439 snaps,” Davenport wrote. “But in 2024, Scott had one catch for five yards while playing 20 offensive snaps. He played just 55 snaps total for the season. Again, when you have a wide receiver buried on the depth chart (Scott is buried even deeper in 2025) who contributes little to nothing on special teams, that’s an easy cut.”
Tyler Scott Has Proven Something of a Bust for Bears Based on Pre-Draft Projections
GettyChicago Bears wide receiver Tyler Scott.
Scott, a fourth-round pick (No. 133 overall) out of Cincinnati in 2023, has two years remaining on his $4.5 million rookie contract. He will turn 24 years old early during the upcoming season.
That Scott is on the roster bubble ahead of just his third season in the NFL is a disappointment and a break from the prevailing scouting reports on him coming out of college.
Scott earned a top-15 receiver rating overall in the 2023 class after clocking a 4.44-second 40-yard dash time and a 39.5-inch vertical leap. Scout Lance Zierlein of NFL.com projected Scott would eventually be a “plus starter” and compared him to T.Y. Hilton, who hauled in 638 receptions for more than 9,800 passing yards and 53 TDs over an 11-year career.
“While the comparison to T.Y. Hilton might raise some eyebrows, Scott is a similar player in body type, speed and versatility. With just two seasons of starting experience at receiver, his route running and ball skills are almost certain to continue to improve and become less of an issue for him in the future,” Zierlein wrote. “He has the speed and shiftiness to uncover on all three levels. Also, he offers jet sweep and receiver screen value. A smallish frame and lack of hand strength are likely to continue to plague him on contested catches, though. Scott is an ascending talent whose versatility and playmaking talent create an easily projectable upside as a good starting slot receiver early in his career.”
Luther Burden III Likely to Assume Role as Bears Slot Wide Receiver
GettyChicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III.
The Bears all but sealed Scott’s fate by drafting Luther Burden III early in the second round back in April.
Burden is already projecting as the team’s starting slot receiver, while ESPN’s depth chart projection lists Scott as a third-string player in the position group.
Scott made one catch for eight yards in Chicago’s preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. The team will take the field again on Sunday night, August 17, for preseason game No. 2 against the Buffalo Bills.
Scott will have to impress in a major way if he hopes to remain on the roster into September, though the practice squad is still a potential option if Scott doesn’t end up part of the first 53-man grouping.
