The Chicago Bears are eyeing a former Green Bay Packers cornerback as a potential roster signing after missing out before the 2026 NFL trade deadline.
According to the NFL’s transaction wire, the Bears hosted former Packers cornerback Robert Rochell as part of a seven-player tryout group on Tuesday, November 10.
Rochell — a 2021 fourth-round pick for the Los Angeles Rams — played 20 games over two seasons with the Packers in 2023 and 2024, logging all but one of his 234 snaps on special teams and recording six tackles and a fumble recovery over that span.
The 28-year-old also played three games in 2026 with the Carolina Panthers.
The Bears also worked out defensive back Darren Hall — another 2021 fourth-round pick — along with linebacker John Bullock, nose tackle Jordan Elliott, offensive tackles Ryan Hayes and Brandon Parker and center Michael Niese on Tuesday.
Bears News: Chicago Made No CB Trades Before Deadline
The Bears are smack dab in the middle of their bye week, making it an opportune time for the team to evaluate potential additions and update its lists of available free agents.
After all the NFL insider buzz about them looking for another cornerback before the NFL trade deadline, though, the Bears stayed silent in the closing hours on Tuesday afternoon and walked away without making a single addition at the position.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano had reported last week that the Bears were “still poking around on potentially available cornerbacks” after making a blockbuster deal to acquire Jeffery Simmons. Meanwhile, NFL insider Josina Anderson also noted that former Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright had wanted to reunite with Chicago at the deadline.
Instead, the Bears stood pat, having already made their game-changing addition.
Bears Could Add Robert Rochell if Injuries Persist at CB
The Bears did not make any additional moves at the trade deadline to fortify their secondary, but they could have reason to sign Rochell or Hall soon if injuries persist.
Chicago rolled into its bye week with multiple cornerback injuries on its radar. Standout rookie starter Malik Muhammad missed his second straight game with a toe injury on Sunday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he spent the week as a limited practice participant, an encouraging sign for his post-bye return.
The Bears also had cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon exit Week 9’s win over the Buccaneers with new injuries, raising more notable secondary concerns.
While Gordon indicated he would be fine during the postgame, Stevenson came into the game nursing a thumb injury and exited twice with a hand injury — which may have been a re-aggravation — before staying on the sideline on the latter instance.
The Bears will hope that the bye week will improve the health of their cornerback room, but they could circle back and make a free-agent addition if they emerge for the start of Week 11 with injuries still hampering the position group.
Bears Eyeing Ex-Packers CB After Missing Out at NFL Trade Deadline