The Chicago Bears are adding one of the UFL’s most productive linebackers to their 90-man offseason roster ahead of next month’s 2026 training camp.
According to UFL Newroom’s James Larsen, the Bears are signing former Columbus Aviators linebacker Tony Fields II after hosting him for a tryout on Thursday, June 12.
Fields tallied 77 total tackles (second most in the UFL) with five tackles for loss for the Aviators during the 2026 season, earning All-UFL honors with his imposing physicality. He also played for the Cleveland Browns before the Aviators, coming into the league as a fifth-round pick in 2021 and playing 45 games over the next four seasons with them.
Now, Fields will have an opportunity to earn his way back into the NFL with the Bears as one of several roster hopefuls competing for roles in their 2026 linebacker rotation.
The Bears have not yet officially announced Fields’ signing and will need to make a corresponding roster move to clear space for him on their 90-man offseason roster.
Tony Fields II Might Struggle to Crack Bears’ Roster
Fields is an interesting addition for the Bears fresh off his impressive 2026 campaign in the UFL, but making their initial 53-man roster will be easier said than done in camp.
The Bears partly remade their linebacker room during the 2026 offseason, releasing veteran starter Tremaine Edmunds after three seasons for cap relief and putting some of their savings toward signing former first-rounder Devin Bush to a $30 million deal.
Chicago also extended 2025 fill-in starter D’Marco Jackson, re-signed Jack Sanborn after a season with the Dallas Cowboys and drafted Keyshaun Elliott in the fifth round.
Now, the Bears are looking at a highly competitive linebacker group for training camp, with veteran middle linebacker T.J. Edwards and recent Day 3 picks Noah Sewell and Ruben Hyppolite II also returning to compete for their roles against the new additions.
For Fields, that likely means a steep uphill battle. He showed an aptitude for special teams play in the UFL and in his prior stint with the Browns, but he will need to show the coaching staff much more in camp and the preseason before they hand him a role.
Which Linebackers Will Make the Cut for Bears in 2026?
Fields seems like a long shot to make the Bears’ active roster for the 2026 season at this point in the offseason, but there are questions about which linebackers they will keep.
As of June 15, Bush, Edwards, Jackson and the rookie Elliott are all safe bets to make the Bears’ initial 53-man roster at the linebacker position for one reason or another. Edwards had injury issues in 2025, but he is too expensive to cut loose from the roster, even if his age and health motivate Chicago to move on during the 2027 offseason.
Unless one of those four lands on an injury list before roster cuts, the Bears are likely only keeping one more linebacker between Sanborn, Sewell (2023 fifth-round pick), Hyppolite (2025 fourth-round pick) and the other roster hopefuls, including Fields.
Maybe Fields shocks the coaching staff and uses his UFL momentum to complete his return to the NFL, but his best-case scenario might be a spot on the practice squad.
Bears Sign UFL Standout Linebacker Ahead of Training Camp