Although he did not hear his name called in the 2021 NFL Draft, former Ohio State running back Master Teague is expected to sign an undrafted free agent deal with the Chicago Bears, per On3's Matt Zenitz.
A former four-star prospect from Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Blackman, Teague rushed for 1,764 yards and 17 touchdowns during his four-year career with the Buckeyes. That includes a career-high 789 yards as J.K. Dobbins’ backup in 2019 and a career-high eight scores while splitting time with Trey Sermon during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Teague had the least-productive season of his career last fall, though, as he was the third-string running back behind record-setting freshman TreVeyon Henderson and redshirt freshman Miyan Williams on the depth chart. He finished the year with just 355 yards and four touchdowns in eight games.
After considering his options, including a potential transfer in order to complete his master’s degree in architecture and receive more playing time, Teague entered his name into the draft. He then put together an impressive performance at Ohio State’s Pro Day, which ultimately helped him land the post-draft opportunity with the ###.
That said, numerous players have had success in the NFL after going undrafted, including former Buckeyes running back Rod Smith, who played six seasons in the league after latching on with the Seattle Seahawks in 2015. Perhaps Teague will follow that same path in Chicago, where he'll be reunited with former quarterback Justin Fields.
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