Bears scout top talent. Former Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year QB Athan Kaliakmanis visits Halas Hall, highlighting the team's draft prep.
NFL teams are allowed to have 30 draft-eligible prospects visit their facilities during the NFL Draft process.
These visits can take place at Pro Days, on campus, or at the facility. Then, at the NFL Combine, teams can have more personal visits with players to get to know them better.
These local visits allow teams to get to know their prospects on and off the field ahead of the draft. This may not seem as important as the physical tests the prospects undergo, but it will play a big role in who the Bears decide to pick in April.
It can also help the team identify ideal undrafted free agents, an area where General Manager Ryan Poles has found success, bringing in players like Theo Benedet, Jahdae Walker, Jack Sanborn, and others in recent years.
This year's draft will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from April 23-25. The Chicago Bears aren't wasting any time visiting with multiple draft prospects.
The Bears addressed a few needs in free agency.
Two of the biggest ones were at linebacker and safety. General Manager Ryan Poles brought in safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush in free agency.
The Bears needed to sign players at those positions after releasing Tremaine Edmunds and losing both starting safeties, Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, to free agency.
There is still a big need for an edge rusher to complement Montez Sweat in the Chicago pass rush. However, the Bears are reportedly visiting with a player with ties to Illinois, but at a different position.
Per Bears Analyst Jacob Infante, the team is hosting former Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis for a visit.
If that name sounds familiar to Illinois natives, it's because it is. Kaliakmanis played high school football for Antioch Community in Antioch, Illinois.
He was a four-star prospect in the 2021 class and was the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year.
He started his college career at Minnesota, but didn't start right away for the Golden Gophers. He redshirted as a true freshman in 2021 and then had to sit behind starting quarterback Tanner Morgan in 2022.
He then got his shot at the starting job in 2023, throwing for 1,838 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. After one season as the starter in Minnesota, he entered the transfer portal and landed at Rutgers.
In Kaliakmanis' first year as the starting quarterback at Rutgers, he set career highs in passing yards (2,696) and touchdowns (18), throwing seven interceptions.
Last season, he accounted for 3,124 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
There isn't much need for Kaliakmanis with the current state of the Bears' quarterback room.
Caleb Williams is firmly cemented as the starting quarterback for the long term, and the team already has a backup quarterback in place after signing Case Keenum to a two-year, $5.5 million deal.
Tyson Bagent is still on the roster, but with Keenum being paid backup quarterback money, it looks like his time with the Bears is over.
A player like Kaliakmanis would most likely be the practice squad quarterback if he does find himself with the Bears in the future. If Poles likes what he sees in the former Minnesota and Rutgers quarterback, he may be the next undrafted free agent to walk into Halas Hall.