Bears Rookie Sam Roush Could Be the Key to Ben Johnson's Three-Tight End Attack

The Chicago Bears dropped their second preseason game to the Cincinnati Bengals 27-9 on Aug. 22, a sloppy outing most fans would rather forget. But one play offered a glimpse of something special: rookie tight end Sam Roush caught a short drag route from Case Keenum, turned upfield, and rumbled through defenders for a 26-yard gain. It was just two catches and 30 yards on the night, but the way Roush earned those yards has Bears fans and coaches paying attention.

That single play showed exactly why head coach Ben Johnson used a third-round pick on Roush, and why the third tight end could be the missing piece in an offense built to deploy three tight ends at once.

Why Did the Bears Draft a Third Tight End?

When Chicago selected Roush out of Stanford with the 69th overall pick, some fans scratched their heads. The Bears already had Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. Why spend a valuable pick on a position already stocked with talent?

Johnson had a simple answer: he plans to play all three together.

We feel like we got one of the more complete tight ends that this draft had to offer, Johnson said after the pick.

General Manager Ryan Poles echoed that sentiment. That was important to us to add a 'Y' to the group, Poles said. We'll have a really strong room there.

The athletic numbers back up the excitement. Roush posted a 9.94 Relative Athletic Score out of 10.00, ranking him in the top ten among tight ends since 1987. At Stanford, he improved every season, finishing with 119 career receptions and 1,200 yards across four years as a starter. His senior year produced 49 catches for 545 yards, leading all ACC tight ends in both categories.

But it wasn't the receiving numbers that sold Johnson. It was the blocking.

It didn't matter who he was blocking, could be a big guy, could be a little DB, and he consistently finished through the whistle each and every play, Johnson said.

How Three Tight Ends Fit the Bears' Offense

Roush's role isn't about replacing anyone. It's about unlocking something new.

In Johnson's first season as head coach, the Bears ranked in the top five in both 12 personnel (two tight ends) and 13 personnel (three tight ends) usage. Even with Loveland and Kmet playing 16 of 17 games, third tight end Durham Smythe still logged 293 snaps, about 25 percent of the offensive total.

Now imagine Smythe replaced by Roush, a far more athletic player. Johnson gains even more flexibility.

I think if you ask coach, the more the merrier in that tight end room, said Bears director of player personnel Trey Koziol. The nice thing with Sam is that he's got the versatility to play both in-line and off the ball. So now all of a sudden, you've got three versatile tight ends who can each do a little bit of everything.

Johnson's offensive philosophy centers on making the same things look different and different things look the same. Three tight ends who can line up in-line, flex out wide, or motion across the formation make that scheme much harder to defend. Which tight end is the receiver? Which ones are blocking? Defenses will have a hard time figuring it out.

Where Does Roush Fit Behind Loveland and Kmet?

Loveland is the clear starter. The second-year pro out of Michigan caught 58 passes for 713 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, becoming the first Bears rookie to lead the team in receiving yards since Willie Gault in 1983 and the first rookie tight end to do so since Mike Ditka in 1961. He's projected to take another big leap in year two.

Kmet remains the steady veteran. The former Notre Dame standout signed a $50 million extension and brings reliability, experience, and polished route-running that Roush hasn't yet developed.

Roush's job is different. He isn't here to catch a ton of passes. Instead, he's here to make the run game more physical, give Caleb Williams more time in the pocket, and create mismatches when all three tight ends share the field.

Offensive coordinator Press Taylor noted after the preseason opener that Roush made his presence felt in the run game, which is something we wanted to see, while acknowledging there's room for growth in the passing game. Saturday's 26-yard catch-and-run against the Bengals suggests that growth may be ahead of schedule.

Another Iowa Rookie Fighting for a Roster Spot

Roush isn't the only rookie tight end turning heads. Undrafted free agent Hayden Large out of Iowa has quietly impressed throughout camp.

Large lined up at fullback for the Hawkeyes and brings an old-school blocking mentality that fits Johnson's physical offensive identity. On Roush's big play, Large was a key blocker who helped spring the extra yardage.

Large's story is one of resilience: he tore his hamstring and a piece of his pelvic bone in high school, spent 35 days on bed rest, and walked on at Iowa. If Chicago carries four tight ends on the 53-man roster, and the increased 13 personnel usage suggests they should, Large has a real shot at that final spot.

Could Roush Be the X-Factor Johnson Needs?

Last September, Kyle Monangai emerged as the unexpected seventh-round rookie who changed how Johnson called plays. The argument then was that a complementary backup running back could unlock the play-action game that made Johnson's offense so effective in Detroit.

The argument with Roush is similar, just from a different position. A third tight end who can block like a lineman and catch like a receiver gives Johnson the kind of versatility that turns a good offense into a schematic nightmare.

Chicago already has the weapons: Loveland, Kmet, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, D'Andre Swift, Monangai, and a solid offensive line. What Roush adds is the ability to put them all in positions where defenses have no good answer.

Two catches and 30 yards won't make any highlight reels. But the way Roush got 26 of those 30 yards, and what it means for an offense that wants to play three tight ends more than almost any team in the league, should have Bears fans paying very close attention.