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The Chicago Bears added to their wide receiver depth signing veteran Olamide Zaccheaus to a one-year deal. Zaccheaus comes to Chicago after spending last season with the Washington Commanders and should see opportunities in the Bears offense as a potential WR3.
Bringing in Zaccheaus will leave questions about veteran Keenan Allen, who played just one season for Chicago last season and left the door open for a return. While Allen said his two options were a return to the Bears or Los Angeles, whether it's with the Chargers or the Rams, he has yet to sign with a team after the first week of free agency.
For now, Zaccheaus should be seen as Chicago's third option at wide receiver, with more moves potentially still to be made either through free agency or the draft in April. Here are five things to know about the new Bears wide receiver:
Despite not being drafted in 2019, Zaccheaus signed with the Atlanta Falcons and made their 53-man roster going into the season. The action in his rookie season was very limited, as he had just three receptions, 115 yards, and one touchdown in his first year in the league. He also contributed with Atlanta on special teams as a rookie and would go on to play the first four seasons of his career with the Falcons.
In his rookie season, Zaccheaus set a NFL record for the longest first reception in league history, hauling in a 93-yard touchdown on a pass from quarterback Matt Ryan. Although he was never able to break through in a big way early in his career, Zaccheaus was able to find ways to keep himself on the roster and has scored at least one touchdown in every season in the league.
Although he spent his past two seasons as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and most recently the Washington Commanders, Zaccheaus continues a trend of the Bears signing former Falcons players. Zaccheaus joins center Drew Dalman and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett as new faces on the Bears roster, and all three of them played together in the 2021 and 2022 seasons with Atlanta.
Not only did D'Andre Swift and Zaccheaus play together as members of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2023 season, but their bond goes back to their high school days. Both Zaccheaus and Swift played at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia, and now they'll be reunited as members of the Bears going into the 2025 season.
Even though he went undrafted, Zaccheaus had quite the senior season as a member of the Virginia Cavaliers during his collegiate career. Putting together a season where he grabbed 93 receptions, 1,058 yards, and nine touchdowns, Zaccheaus was named to the First-Team All-ACC in 2019, and in 2018, he was selected to Second-Team All-ACC.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears sign Olamide Zaccheaus: 5 things to know about Chicago's new WR
Continue reading...
Bringing in Zaccheaus will leave questions about veteran Keenan Allen, who played just one season for Chicago last season and left the door open for a return. While Allen said his two options were a return to the Bears or Los Angeles, whether it's with the Chargers or the Rams, he has yet to sign with a team after the first week of free agency.
For now, Zaccheaus should be seen as Chicago's third option at wide receiver, with more moves potentially still to be made either through free agency or the draft in April. Here are five things to know about the new Bears wide receiver:
1. Zaccheaus went undrafted in 2019
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Despite not being drafted in 2019, Zaccheaus signed with the Atlanta Falcons and made their 53-man roster going into the season. The action in his rookie season was very limited, as he had just three receptions, 115 yards, and one touchdown in his first year in the league. He also contributed with Atlanta on special teams as a rookie and would go on to play the first four seasons of his career with the Falcons.
2. Zaccheaus set NFL record with first career catch
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In his rookie season, Zaccheaus set a NFL record for the longest first reception in league history, hauling in a 93-yard touchdown on a pass from quarterback Matt Ryan. Although he was never able to break through in a big way early in his career, Zaccheaus was able to find ways to keep himself on the roster and has scored at least one touchdown in every season in the league.
3. Zaccheaus is the third former Falcons player to join Bears this offseason
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Although he spent his past two seasons as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and most recently the Washington Commanders, Zaccheaus continues a trend of the Bears signing former Falcons players. Zaccheaus joins center Drew Dalman and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett as new faces on the Bears roster, and all three of them played together in the 2021 and 2022 seasons with Atlanta.
4. Zaccheaus was a high school teammate of D'Andre Swift
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Not only did D'Andre Swift and Zaccheaus play together as members of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2023 season, but their bond goes back to their high school days. Both Zaccheaus and Swift played at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia, and now they'll be reunited as members of the Bears going into the 2025 season.
5. Zaccheaus is a two-time All-ACC selection
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Even though he went undrafted, Zaccheaus had quite the senior season as a member of the Virginia Cavaliers during his collegiate career. Putting together a season where he grabbed 93 receptions, 1,058 yards, and nine touchdowns, Zaccheaus was named to the First-Team All-ACC in 2019, and in 2018, he was selected to Second-Team All-ACC.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears sign Olamide Zaccheaus: 5 things to know about Chicago's new WR
Continue reading...
