Kaden Davis brings kick return and receiver experience to the Chicago Bears, but he will have an uphill battle to make the roster.
With mandatory minicamp done and over a month away until training camp begins, it will be a lot quieter for the Chicago Bears.
There will still be members of the organization at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. Coach Ben Johnson said in his press conference last Thursday that he will use the time off to begin preparing for the upcoming season.
This is also the time when NFL teams will bring in players to workout to fill out the 90-man roster heading into training camp, and the the Chicago Bears recently added a new member to the team.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bears are signing former Browns and UFL wide receiver/kick returner Kaden Davis to a one-year deal.
Davis spent the spring playing for the Houston Gamblers in the UFL. In five games played, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound receiver caught four passes for 32 yards. He also returned 10 kickoffs for 275 yards, averaging 27.5 yards per kick return.
One of the attributes Johnson looks for in his players is effort. What a player is doing when they don't have the football. On this 72-yard touchdown run, Davis (No. 87) runs all the way down field to ensure his teammate reaches the end zone without being tackled from behind. Those plays resonate with a coaching staff.
Before Davis joined the Houston Gamblers for their season, the former undrafted free agent from Northwest Missouri State played has spent time with the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions and most recently the Cleveland Browns.
The 27-year-old receiver/return man has played in three regular season games over two seasons with the Browns. In the Browns' 13-10 win over the Green Bay Packers, he returned the opening kickoff for a 28-yard gain.
Against the Baltimore Ravens in the regular-season finale in 2024, Davis returned three kickoffs for 107 yards, including a 40-yard long return that helped the Browns with field position, allowing Cleveland to secure its first points in the game.
Davis did overlap with Johnson for a brief time in Detroit during the 2024 season. He caught two passes for 64 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown in the preseason victory over the Chiefs. The Lions waived Davis during their final roster cutdowns.
Davis joins a crowded receiver room featuring Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond, Scotty Miller, Jahdae Walker and Zavion Thomas, so that's isn't likely where the newest member of the Bears will compete for a job. Kick returner is the most realistic option, but even there Chicago has plenty of candidates.
Raymond and 2026 third-round draft pick Thomas will realistically start as the top two return men on the depth chart.
Competing for a spot and trying to make a team isn't anything new to Davis, so he'll have to make the most of his opportunities throughout training camp and the preseason to make a lasting impression on a Bears team that has limited open spots on the roster.
