Overview
- The Bears used pick No. 69 to draft Stanford tight end Sam Roush as a blocking piece for their multi‑TE sets.
- General manager Ryan Poles said the move does not change Cole Kmet’s standing and called Kmet “locked in.”
- A pre‑draft restructure cut Kmet’s 2026 cap hit to about $7.77 million, leaving only roughly $2.35 million in savings if traded or cut and about $5.42 million in dead money in each of the next two years.
- Head coach Ben Johnson praised Roush as a “finisher through the whistle,” highlighting consistent effort and inline blocking.
- Chicago leans on 12 and 13 personnel, lost blocker Durham Smythe, and opted for a cost‑controlled rookie rather than paying rising market rates for veteran blocking tight ends.