The Green Bay Packers made a difficult decision to cut ties with undrafted pass-rusher Nyjalik Kelly on Sunday, and the Chicago Bears have the chance to benefit if they’re willing to take it.
Chicago did not claim anyone on waivers Monday afternoon, which leaves Kelly clear to return to Green Bay as a member of the practice squad after a standout preseason. However, a player like Kelly could have value to the Bears with Austin Booker hurt and Marcus Davenport cut over the weekend after 13 days with the team.
“The Packers went thin [at edge-rusher] by releasing Kelly, the impressive undrafted free agent,” Bill Huber of ON SI wrote Sunday.
Kelly finished the preseason tied for the most pressures on the Packers defense with four, including a strip-sack during the team’s second preseason outing against the Broncos.
Bears Preseason Standout DE Jamree Kromah Earned Spot on 53-Man Roster
Chicago had its own preseason standout off the edge in Jamree Kromah (an undrafted rookie in 2024), who earned a spot on the roster.
There is also some speculation from ESPN’s Courtney Cronin that the Bears may be interested in reuniting with Davenport on the practice squad as he continues to rehabilitate an injury.
“Kromah earned his spot among the 10 DL. Showed up every preseason game and had a team-high 3 sacks,” Cronin wrote on X Sunday. “The Bears terminating Marcus Davenport’s contract (he never got on the practice field) created an opening. Would not be surprised if the Bears try to get Davenport onto PS to continue to evaluate his fit with the pass rush.”
Meanwhile, Booker is week-to-week with a groin issue after missing the first seven games of last season with a knee injury.
Bears Have Clear Plan at Edge-Rusher, but Lack Healthy Depth
Chicago is probably not going to sign a free agent pass-rusher at this point, given that the list of viable candidates includes only Leonard Floyd, Kyle Van Noy, Haason Reddick and pretty much nobody else.
Dayo Odeyingbo is healthy and likely to start at defensive end opposite Montez Sweat. The team apparently plans to rotate Odeyingbo inside on obvious pass-rushing downs to create a stronger rush up the middle, the need for which is even greater now after the Bears sent DT Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Atlanta Falcons via a trade (he was second on the defense with six sacks in 2025).
Booker, if healthy, should then fill in as the team’s pass-rush specialist. Kromah is also on the roster for depth along with Daniel Hardy. But with Booker hurt and Odeyingbo coming off an Achilles tear in the middle of last season, the Bears could certainly do worse than storing a pass-rusher with upside, such as Kelly, on the practice squad.
According to Cronin, however, that player could be Davenport while he continues to try and get healthy. That said, Davenport spent the last two years with the Detroit Lions and the season prior with the Minnesota Vikings. Across that three-year run, he was only healthy enough to appear in a total of 14 games.