One Holdout Left No More. Bears Ink 2026 Third-Round Tight End to Rookie Deal.

The Chicago Bears officially locked up their entire 2026 draft class Friday afternoon. Tight end Sam Roush, taken with the 69th pick in the third round, signed a four-year contract worth roughly $7.35 million. That wraps up every rookie contract ahead of training camp.

Roush isn’t just a body in the room. At 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds, he brings a blend of size and functional strength that fits what Chicago wants to do offensively. He blocked in-line at Stanford for four years. He also caught 119 passes for 1,201 yards and four touchdowns across 48 games, 34 of them starts.

His best year came in 2025. Roush served as a team captain, hauled in 49 catches for 545 yards and two scores, and earned Second-Team All-ACC honors. That same season, Stanford gave him the Al Masters Award — the university’s highest athletic honor — plus the Tommy Vardell Award, which goes to the football player who balances athletics and academics at a high level.

The Bears already have Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet at tight end. But what’s interesting is the front office’s pattern: all three tight ends on the roster were selected inside the first three rounds of the draft. That signals a commitment to using multiple tight end sets as a core part of the offense, not just a change-up.

Roush impressed during offseason workouts. He’s expected to see the field early in two-tight-end formations, and his blocking should help open lanes in the run game. Chicago has plenty of pass-catching options, but Roush’s ability to stay in and seal the edge could get him snaps ahead of more flashy backups.

Full 2026 draft class now signed

Here’s the complete list of Bears rookies who have inked deals:

First-round safety Dillon Thieneman, second-round center Logan Jones, third-round wide receiver Zavion Thomas, third-round tight end Sam Roush, fourth-round cornerback Malik Muhammad, fifth-round linebacker Keyshaun Elliott, and sixth-round defensive tackle Jordan Van Den Berg.

All seven are under contract. No holdouts. No distractions.

Training camp is next. Rookies and quarterbacks report July 25. Veterans join them on July 28. The Bears open the 2026 season with a roster that’s younger, deeper, and built around a tight end room that suddenly looks more like a position of strength than a question mark.