Top under-the-radar Chicago Bears players to watch in 2025: No. 1 Olamide Zaccheaus

The Bears made a lot of the headlines this offseason. It started when general manager Ryan Poles hired Ben Johnson to be his new head coach and continued in the following months when Poles revamped his offensive line and boosted the defensive line.

There’s plenty to watch once training camp starts later in July. Many will look to see how the Bears adjust to Johnson’s new coaching staff and how quarterback Caleb Williams looks heading into his second season.

But there are some under-the-radar players who could become contributors in 2025. Shaw Local is counting down the top five under-the-radar Bears this week. These could be Bears who are waiting for an opportunity to take on a bigger role, rookies looking to make an impact or simply a player who Bears fans aren’t talking enough about.

Here’s a look at No. 1 on the list.

No. 1 Olamide Zaccheaus

Position: Wide receiver

Experience: Seventh season

Looking back: Zaccheaus signed with the Bears this offseason with six years of experience as a dependable wide receiver in the NFL. Poles decided to sign Zaccheaus after not re-signing Keenan Allen during free agency and before drafting Luther Burden III in the second round in April.

Zaccheaus became a top secondary target who made the most of his opportunities over his career with the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders. In 89 games and 30 starts, Zaccheaus caught 149 passes for 1,998 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also added special teams to his resume for the Commanders last season, returning 17 punts for 179 yards.

Poles brought in Zaccheaus after two of his best years over the past three seasons. He finished with a career-high 533 receiving yards and three touchdowns off 40 catches with the Falcons in 2022. Last season with the Commanders, he had 506 receiving yards and three touchdowns on a career-high 45 catches.

Zaccheaus also played a role in Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels’ development last year. He finished third on the team in receiving yards behind wide receiver Terry McLaurin and tight end Zach Ertz, providing a safety net for the rookie quarterback.

Looking ahead: The top of the Bears’ wide receiver room should be set heading into the season. DJ Moore and Rome Odzune will be the top-two options for Williams, while Burden will try to make an impression as a rookie. But Zaccheaus will play a valuable role in the room that might fall under the radar.

Like he did with Daniels, Zaccheaus should become a valuable safety net for Williams. The two already started building a rapport with each other during the spring. Williams found Zaccheaus numerous times when both Moore and Odunze weren’t open during practices reporters were allowed to watch.

Zaccheaus will also be an important target early in the season. Burden was already going to need time to adjust to life in the NFL as a rookie, but his adjustment was delayed this offseason after he missed all of the spring’s practices after suffering a “soft-tissue issue” during rookie minicamp at the beginning of May.

With a lot of transition under a new play-caller and coaching staff, Zaccheaus will play an important role in making sure that transition will be smooth for the Bears offense, especially Williams.