Kiran Amegadjie's Progress Has Reportedly Surprised Teammates

Probably the biggest enigma of the Chicago Bears' 2024 off-season was Kiran Amegadjie. Teams normally reserve 3rd round picks for players who might be able to contribute immediately. GM Ryan Poles opted to go out of his comfort zone. Amegadjie not only came from a smaller Ivy League program at Yale but also had suffered a season-ending quad injury. That meant it might take time before the team was comfortable giving him an opportunity despite his undeniable physical gifts.

He's big, powerful, athletic, and has outstanding length. His nastiness as a blocker also stood out on multiple occasions. At last, after months of waiting, Amegadjie returned to practice around two weeks before the season began. He was recently upgraded to a full participant, meaning he is in pads and banging around with no restrictions. After a solid month of watching him work, Matt Eberflus admitted the rookie is closer than people think to seeing some action. Even his defensive teammates have taken notice.

"He’s really close. He has been working his tail off. His fundamentals are getting better. We love his length and his energy and passion that he plays with. He has been doing good. I have been asking the defensive ends and the D-line coaches about him two or three times per week, and it’s all positive. He’s getting better. It’s good to see."

Kiran Amegadjie could solve a big problem for the Bears.

They have clear flaws on their offensive line, particularly along the interior. If he is close to being ready to play, they could plug him in at one of those spots. One possibility is putting him at guard, which he did play at Yale for a brief period. Nate Davis is already on thin ice with Eberflus and the coaching staff. Putting him next to Darnell Wright would make up a big and powerful right side of the line. They could also put Amegadjie at right tackle and shift Wright inside to guard if they feel more comfortable with that alignment.

Lots of people aren't wild about putting him in yet. He hasn't played real football since October of last year, to say nothing of making a big jump in competition. It might be best if Kiran Amegadjie spent this season learning from the bench. Try to fix the offensive line issue in other ways. That isn't a bad idea. Then again, if he is showing lots of encouraging progress, the next logical step is getting him into some games. It doesn't have to be for a full four quarters. Throw him in for a series or two. Get his feet wet.

If he looks good, that will be confirmation he is ready for a real shot.