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Unheralded Chicago Bears skill player set for breakout season in 2025

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 11:54 AM ET

The Chicago Bears are loaded at wide receiver entering the 2025 NFL season. Headlined by DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, general manager Ryan Poles added second-round stud Luther Burden III to a pass-catching depth chart that's as talented as any the Bears have fielded in decades.

But one name who shouldn't be overlooked is veteran Olamide Zaccheaus, who's slated to start against the Minnesota Vikings and could be a breakout star that no one saw coming.

Zaccheaus signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with Chicago this offseason in a transaction that barely got any attention when it was announced. But a successful summer in which OZ built chemistry with quarterback Caleb Williams turned him from a blip on the transaction wire to a player all training camp onlookers took notice of.

"It's time to talk more about Bears WR Olamide Zaccheaus," ALLCHGO's Adam Jahns shared on X this summer. "He's stacking good days in camp, including today vs. the Bills. He took a reception over the middle from Caleb Williams to the house during the final team period."

Olamide Zaccheaus with the 36 yard TD. What a great FA signing pic.twitter.com/RI25X0JSKP
— Ficky (@itsfickybaby) August 18, 2025

A veteran of four teams over his six-year NFL career, Zaccheaus has proven to be a solid role player almost everywhere he's played. In 2024, it was the Washington Commanders, where he totaled 45 catches for 506 yards and three touchdowns. He set a career-high in receiving yards with the Atlanta Falcons in 2022, when he totaled 533.

Assuming he can hold off Burden long enough, he should easily set new high watermarks in 2025. If the training camp chemistry with Williams transfers to the regular season, he could end up becoming a household name by midseason.

“That’s my guy, OZ,” Williams said this week. “The connection from when he got here, it’s been an open communication between him and I. There are a lot of routes where … you’ve got to know what he’s doing. You’ve got to know his body language when he’s breaking, when he’s not. When he is going to snap it off, when he’s going to settle. That’s been a work in progress from the beginning of camp and OTAs to now. It’s grown tremendously.”

Indeed, it's only a matter of time before Zaccheaus passes the starting torch to Burden. But make no mistake -- he won't relinquish his starting spot easily. And when he finally does step aside for Burden, it will be because the rookie has proven to be too explosive to leave on the bench.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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