Tyler Scott was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears with the hope that he, one day, could play an important role in the team's offense, particularly as a deep threat. Instead, after two underwhelming NFL seasons, Scott's fate with the Bears might be sealed ahead of minicamps with Luther Burden III entering the mix.
Expectations for a fourth-round pick are never exorbitantly high, but fourth-round picks also aren't useless. Key contributors at skill positions are drafted all the time in the fourth round, and that's what the Bears hoped they had gotten with Scott.
However, after selecting Burden with their second-round pick this year, the Bears essentially confirmed that Scott will not play any sort of major role on the 2025 Bears.
Luther Burden III selection seals Tyler Scott's fate with Bears
The Bears added Burden, one of the best wide receivers in the class, to a wide receiver room that already consists of D.J. Moore and 2024 first-round pick Rome Odunze. A receiver as talented as Burden being a third option is pretty crazy, and shows the kind of hill Scott will have to climb to even get on the field. This is great for Caleb Williams, obviously, but less than ideal for Scott.
It's hard to fault the Bears for this outcome. They're hoping to do whatever they can to get Williams to pan out as their franchise quarterback, and surrounding him with three elite weapons and a much-improved offensive line is a beautiful thing. It is unfortunate, though, that Scott never really got much of a shot.
The 23-year-old played a decent amount in his rookie year, racking up 17 receptions for 168 yards, but last season, he saw his opportunity dip exponentially as Bears revamped their wide receiver room around Williams. Scott went from playing 39 percent of the team's offensive snaps as a rookie to just three percent in 2024. Unsurprisingly, Scott was targeted just once all year and wound up recording five receiving yards.
If Scott is on the team's Week 1 roster, which is far from a guarantee, it'll be as a fifth or sixth receiver. He went from a possibly intriguing youngster looking for a larger role on a developing team to one without any role at all. The Bears lacked a third receiver with Keenan Allen entering free agency, giving Scott one last chance, but Burden will fill that role wonderfully.
The NFL is a business at the end of the day, and Scott is learning that right now.