Bears UDFA named surprising roster candidate amid potential trade

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Bears UDFA named surprising roster candidate amid potential trade

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Matthew Schmidt | Last updated May 11, 2026 8:30 PM ET

The Chicago Bears put together an intriguing NFL Draft class last month, filling some pretty clear needs on a team that won 11 games and captured the NFC North division crown in 2025.

The Bears then signed 13 undrafted free agents, some of whom have been labeled as very intriguing players with training camp around the corner.

While offensive lineman Caden Barnett and quarterback Miller Moss, the latter of whom was a teammate of Caleb Williams at USC, are the two most recognizable names on the list, another UDFA has emerged as a surprising potential roster candidate for Chicago: tight end Hayden Large.

Large played three years of JUCO ball before transferring to Iowa in 2023, where he proceeded to spend three seasons. He didn’t exactly light up the box score, finishing with 14 catches for 89 yards throughout his tenure with the Hawkeyes, but he posted an 8.92 RAS and is known as a very strong run blocker.

Plus, Iowa is known for producing good NFL tight ends.

But could Large actually make the roster? Preston Zbroszczyk thinks it’s possible.

Chicago Bears tight end Hayden Large could make the 53-man roster

Iowa tight end Hayden Large talks to media members about his pro day experience ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft March 24, 2026 in Iowa City, Iowa.

The Bears selected fellow tight end Sam Roush in the third round of the draft and have both Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet as Nos. 1 and 2 on the depth chart, but trade speculation has swirled around Kmet, meaning Large might actually have a chance of making the team as a third-string tight end.

“[Ben] Johnson also spoke highly about tight end Hayden Large out of Iowa, and once you learn a little bit about him, you’d understand why,” Zbroszczyk wrote. “Large faced adversity from the start in high school – he tore his hamstring as part of his pelvic bone. Starting in the NAIA level before getting a chance at the Big Ten level at Iowa as a fullback and H-back, during his time in Iowa City, Large had just 14 receptions and zero touchdowns, but was described as the ‘heart and soul’ of the program.”

Because Loveland has already proven to be a terrific pass-catcher and Roush clearly has strong potential of his own, which he displayed at Stanford, Chicago could really use a No. 3 tight end that could get down and dirty in the trenches.

Large, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 255 pounds, could absolutely be that guy for the Bears.

If Chicago ends up moving Kmet (which is a real possibility), Large making the 53-man roster won’t seem so crazy.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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