The Chicago Bears have spent the last couple of months becoming dynamic on offense, at least on paper, but one element of their attack continues to fly under the radar.
That player is wide receiver Tyler Scott, who has naturally taken a backseat not only to DJ Moore — who also played his first season with the Bears in 2023 — but to Keenan Allen, a trade acquisition this offseason, and Rome Odunze, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
“Scott displayed some nice flashes as a potential slot receiver in the second half of the 2023 campaign. The Cincinnati product hauled in 17 catches for 168 yards on 32 targets. The catch rate needs improvement, but the talent appears to be there to be a fringe contributor in the passing game,” Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report wrote on Monday, May 21. “Scott needs an impressive summer to hold on to the No. 4 spot on the depth chart behind Moore, Allen and Odunze. A strong set of practices may lead to an elevated number of snaps in 2024.”
Tyler Scott Can Offer Talented Bears WR Room Deep-Threat Option
GettyChicago Bears wide receiver Tyler Scott.
Chicago selected Scott with a fourth-round pick (No. 133 overall) in 2023. His attractiveness as a prospect resides with his explosive playmaking ability rather than his traditional attributes, as the wideout stands just 5-feet, 11-inches tall and weighs only 185 pounds.
Scott ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine a little over one year ago, registering a vertical leap of 39.5 inches. His athletic score was 8th among all receivers at that year’s combine, per NFL.com.
Scott’s potential value to Chicago’s offense, as potent as it might be without him, is as a deep threat who can take the top off of a defense that is preoccupied with Pro Bowl-caliber talent lined up alongside him.
The extra talent the Bears have added to the receiver room renders Scott’s margin for error considerably thinner than it would have been otherwise. However, that same talent will allow him to thrive if he can capture the No. 4 spot in the position group this summer and enter the regular season with an offense likely to be pass-happy with rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams under center.
Health Will Play Large Factor in Determining Tyler Scott’s Role With Bears
GettyWide receiver Keenan Allen of the Chicago Bears.
Tansey noted that one injury could change the course of Scott’s career trajectory in Chicago, which could prove true in either direction.
Allen is a consummate Pro Bowler, earning the honor six of the last seven years. However, he is also injury-prone, with 11 missed games on his resumé over the last two seasons.
He also happens to be on the last year of his contract, which he will play at the age of 32 years old. If Allen suffers any sort of significant injury in 2024, which is reasonably likely given his history, a career-making opportunity for Scott may open up.
On the other hand, if Scott suffers an injury during the offseason program, he could find himself on the outside looking in at a talented Bears offense come September.
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