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Nsimba Webster’s days in Chicago may be numbered.
The Chicago Bears worked out three quarterbacks this week: Ryan Willis, Jake Dolegala and Peyton Ramsey, as PFF’s Doug Kyed. reported on September 28, but they also brought in three wide receivers with experience returning kickoffs and punts in for tryouts, according to the NFL’s waiver wire: Darece Roberson, Mathew Sexton and Isaiah Zuber.
Chicago claimed Webster off waivers on September 1 after he was released by the San Francisco 49ers, and he has been returning punts for the first three weeks. During the Bears’ Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns, however, a muffed punt that almost led to a turnover might have the Bears auditioning potential replacements. Bears linebacker Caleb Johnson recovered the fumble, but it could have proven to be a costly mistake for Webster, who has five fumbles in 24 career games.
Webster is also the backup kickoff returner behind rookie Khalil Herbert, so it’s no surprise that the WRs the team worked out all have experience returning both kicks and punts.
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Mathew Sexton: Background & Stats
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Sexton went to Eastern Michigan for four seasons, from 2016-19. He played in 40 games, catching 100 passes for 1,335 yards and nine touchdowns. He also returned 21 kicks for 353 yards (that’s a 16.8 yard average per return) and two punts for 77 yards (38.5 yards per return) and a TD.
He played in the Spring League in 2020, but Sexton caught the attention of the Pittsburgh Steelers after he ran a low-4.3s 40-yard dash at the Michigan State pro day this spring. He signed with Pittsburgh in August, but despite a strong training camp, he was released in the final round of roster cuts.
Darece Roberson: Stats & Background
Roberson had 94 catches for 1,767 yards (that’s 19.2 yards per catch) and 24 touchdowns in his four seasons at Wayne State. He returned both punts and kickoffs in college, averaging 11.8 yards on punt returns while also scoring a TD, and 24.2 yards on kickoff returns, also finding the end zone once.
The 5-foot-9, 170-pound WR is another speedster, running a 10.79-second 100-yard dash in high school. He went undrafted in 2020, and he had brief stints with the Arizona Cardinals in 2020 and with the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks this past spring/summer.
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Isaiah Zuber: Stats & Background
The 6-foot-0, 190-pound Zuber played for Kansas State for three years (2016-19) before transferring to Mississippi State his senior season in 2020. He played in 44 games at both schools combined, catching 141 passes for 1,532 yards (10.9 yards per catch) and 13 TDs. He returned 33 kicks, averaging 15.5 yards per return, and he also returned 11 punts for 180 yards (16.4 yards per return) and a score.
Zuber went undrafted in the 2020 draft, but was signed by the New England Patriots. He initially made the practice squad but was elevated to the active roster for four games. He caught two passes for 29 yards, and he also had two rushes for 21 yards. Zuber was released by the Patriots this past August, and after a cup of coffee with the 49ers (he spent just over a week on their practice squad earlier in September), he’s back on the market.
Based on what we’ve seen from Webster so far, any of the three might be worth taking a chance on, as fumbles seem to follow him.
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