The Chicago Bears added another wide receiver to the mix over the weekend, focusing on speed at the position in free agency, just as they did during the NFL draft.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the move on Saturday, May 9.
“Bears are signing free-agent wide receiver Scotty Miller, per Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey,” Schefter posted to X.
Miller is a seven-year veteran who spent the last two campaigns with the Pittsburgh Steelers. All told, he has tallied 99 receptions for 1,216 yards and six TDs across 93 games played, including nine starts.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Miller in the sixth round in 2019 out of Bowling Green. Miller’s speed was then, and remains now, his biggest asset. He clocked a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, and teams have utilized Miller’s quickness on special teams on and off over his career.
Miller has tallied 1,644 offensive snaps on offense in the NFL, as well as 298 snaps on special teams. He has returned a total of five kicks, including three punts and two kickoffs.
The Atlanta Falcons employed Miller for one season in 2023 between his stints in Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh. He will play next season at 29 years old, likely at a salary close to the league minimum.
Schefter did not immediately report any details of Miller’s contract, but he has inked three consecutive one-year deals worth between $1.23-$1.33 million in each of the past three seasons after getting $2.64 million over four years on his rookie agreement with the Bucs.
Bears Should Have Potent Pass Attack Behind Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland
GettyWide receiver Luther Burden III of the Chicago Bears.
Miller should compete for the No. 3 wideout spot behind third-year pass-catcher Rome Odunze and second-year man Luther Burden III.
Odunze is a more classic outside option and profiles as the prototypical WR1 in Chicago next season, though advanced statistics indicate that Burden, who will line up frequently in the slot, might actually prove the top target in the position group.
“Luther Burden’s stats last year among Bears WRs/TEs:
- +0.52 EPA/target (#1)
- 56% success (#1)
- 10.9 yds/target (#1)
- 7.2 YAC/reception (#1)
- 86% accurate target catch rate (#1)
- 78% overall catch rate (#1)
- 25% target/route (#1)
“He ranked #1 on the Bears in EVERY. SINGLE. METRIC,” Warren Sharp posted to X in early March.
Tight end Colston Loveland, a top-10 pick in 2025, also figures to play a major role in the Bears’ evolving pass game under second-year head coach and longtime offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Loveland tallied 58 catches for 713 yards and six TDs during his rookie campaign. TE2 Cole Kmet, who has the upside ceiling of a TE1, also will be a factor.
Scotty Miller Will Face Competition for WR3 Spot From Kalif Raymond, 3rd-Round Rookie Zavion Thomas
GettyChicago Bears wide receiver Zavion Thomas.
Miller’s primary competition for the WR3 spot will be Kalif Raymond, whom Chicago inked to a $3.5 million deal in 2026 after several seasons with the Detroit Lions, and third-round rookie Zavion Thomas out of LSU.
Thomas was something of a surprise selection with the No. 89 overall selection in Round 3, though the Bears took him because of his athletic upside.
“Chicago opted for a big-play threat in Thomas over a pass-rusher with its final pick in the third round,” Courtney Cronin of ESPN wrote. “Thomas ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, which is one of the fastest times on record. His speed was a major draw and should pay dividends on special teams after he led the SEC with 633 kick return yards in 2024.”
Bears Ink Speedy Steelers WR as Complement to Odunze, Burden