Getty Wide receiver Jonathan Adams Jr. celebrates after scoring a touchdown in college.
The USFL concludes its inaugural season on July 3, and the Chicago Bears are being urged to sign one of the young wide receivers who is making a name for himself in the league.
Wideout Jonathan Adams Jr., who plays for the playoff-bound New Orleans Breakers, is currently fifth in the league in receiving yards (398) and his three touchdowns are tied for eighth, per Fox Sports. Part of the USFL’s top passing offense, Adams has had some standout catches since the league’s revival began in April of 2022.
Adams had been catching passes from quarterback Kyle Sloter, who spent the latter part of the 2020 NFL season on the Bears’ practice squad — and Alex Ballantine of Bleacher Report thinks the Bears should bring Adams in to see if he vibes well with second-year QB Justin Fields.
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Adams Has Had Some Eye-Catching Moments in USFL
“Adams has been the most productive player on a Breakers squad that also features former NFL receiver Taywan Taylor and Ohio State product Johnnie Dixon,” Ballentine noted in his June 17 column.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Adams has proven to be a solid wideout when it comes to going up and getting jump balls, and his catch radius is good. A few of the grabs he has made so far in his nine USFL games have been ridiculous:
In 2020, only 2 D1 WRs recorded 75+ receptions, 1,100+ receiving yards, and 10+ touchdowns: DeVonta Smith and Jonathan Adams Jr.
Still baffled that Adams is not in the NFL right now.
PFF’s Ian Hartitz called Adams the “best player in the USFL.”
Jonathan Adams is the best player in the USFL
Ballentine thinks bringing a guy like Adams in would give the Bears a big-bodied option for Fields, and he named Chicago a top fit for the young WR. “Adams received a 4th-5th round grade from the B/R Scouting Department in 2021, who pegged him as a future role player,” Ballentine wrote. “He’s used his time with the Breakers to prove he could still live up to that projection. Adams could help out any NFL team looking to add a big, contested-catch receiver to its arsenal.”
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Jonathan Adams: Background & Stats
Adams had 2,396 yards and 21 touchdowns in his four years at Arkansas State, averaging 13.9 yards per catch in 30 games played. He had his best season as a senior in 2020, catching 79 passes for 1,111 yards and 12 scores in 10 games.
He signed with the Detroit Lions in 2020 after he went undrafted, but was released before training camp began that year. He was also suspended by the NFL in 2021 for the first six games, and he didn’t catch on anywhere as the season progressed.
Adams was also a very good basketball player, playing in college at Arkansas State until his junior year. Considering this, his time in the USFL can be seen as somewhat developmental, as football has only been his sole focus for a few years.
But would he be a good fit for the Bears?
The wideouts on Chicago’s roster over six feet are Equanimeous St. Brown (6’5″, 214 pounds), Tajae Sharpe (6’2″, 194 pounds) and Isaiah Coulter (6’2″, 198 pounds). It certainly wouldn’t hurt to give Adams a shot at competing against that group for a spot on the roster or, likelier, the practice squad, where he could potentially develop and learn offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s system.
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