There was a ton of optimism about the Chicago Bears after they appointed Ben Johnson as the new head coach in 2025. And, entering Week 16, they have proven themselves worthy of that hype. Despite a 0-2 start, they have rallied their way back to a 10-4 record, which has them as the one-seed in the brutal NFC North. However, they have no time for complacency with all three of their final games against teams in the thick of the playoff race.
With two of those games against divisional teams, their place in the division or the conference as a whole isn’t secure. To make matters worse, their top two wide receiver targets, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, have been ruled out for Week 16, forcing the team to use the depth of its wide receiver corps.
Bears Wide Receiver Depth Chart
After an instant classic between the Bears and the Packers in Week 14 that came down to the final play of the game, the two sides are colliding once again just two weeks later in Week 16. With a tight playoff race, both teams have a massive opportunity in the clash.
However, for Chicago, a plethora of injuries have taken out two of their best targets for quarterback Caleb Williams. As a result, the rest of the wide receiver group has to step up in a significant way to keep them in the game.
DJ Moore
A first-round pick in 2018 for the Carolina Panthers, DJ Moore has developed into one of the more underrated talents in the league who can produce at a consistent level. With four 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, he will be someone the Bears rely on heavily to produce this week.
Ranking 58th on PFSN’s WR Impact for the season, he has 567 receiving yards and five touchdowns. However, he is coming off the best game of his season with two touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns, including what may have been the throw of the season from Williams.
Olamide Zaccheaus
Ranking 84th on WRi for the year, Olamide Zachheaus is in his seventh season in the NFL, as he’s played a backup role on multiple teams during his tenure. After spending four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, he’s bounced around from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Washington Commanders over the last two seasons.
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This offseason, he found his way to the Bears, where he’s tallied 280 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Jahdae Walker
An undrafted free agent signing for Chicago in the offseason, Jahdae Walker put together an impressive preseason performance to earn a spot on the official 53-man roster. However, it wasn’t enough to consistently get him snaps during the regular season.
But with two major injuries to their youngsters, the team might need to rely on the rookie to pick up the slack. In the preseason, he had 41 yards and a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins before scoring the game-winning touchdown in the preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Devin Duvernay
A third-round pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, he spent four years with the organization. But his role severely diminished in his final year with the organization, paving a move to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Serving primarily as a returner for them, he’s adopted the same role for the Bears this season. As a result, through 14 games, he has just two receptions to his credit. Instead, he’s done his damage primarily as a returner, with 216 punt return yards on 20 attempts, and an absurd 929 kick return yards on 35 attempts.
