The Chicago Bears have done a solid job using this past off-season to correct several issues with their roster. D.J. Moore upgrades the receiver position. Darnell Wright and Nate Davis should help the offensive line. Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards fortify the linebackers. Yannick Ngakoue and DeMarcus Walker give them two reliable defensive ends. Defensive tackle, tight end, cornerback, and even quarterback are positions that seem to have gotten deeper. GM Ryan Poles has done a lot to set this team up for a much-improved year.
However, there is one lingering problem they still haven't figured out. The Bears don't have a punt returner.
Ever since Tarik Cohen got injured a few years ago, the Bears have had rotten luck trying to fix that important spot on special teams. They'd hoped Velus Jones might become a solution. Three muffed kicks later suggest that isn't the case. Rookie Tyler Scott took his chance but clearly struggled to track the ball and had a muff of his own. Dante Pettis had experience, but he's on IR. There is nobody on the roster capable of filling that role.
This means Poles may have to go hunting for outside help. If so, he may not have to look far. The Detroit Lions appear set to release somebody that would be a perfect fit.
Maurice Alexander is exactly what the Chicago Bears need.
A former quarterback and wide receiver from Florida International, he built a reputation for being a jack-of-all-trades weapon. His calling card soon became punt returning. In two seasons with 23 total returns, Alexander amassed 544 yards and two touchdowns. He did get some kick return action last year for Detroit, averaging 24.3 yards. Yet they never gave him a shot on punts. That changed in the 2023 preseason. He didn't disappoint, uncorking a 95-yard romp for a touchdown.
The kid is a natural at returning. If the Chicago Bears aren't confident they have a solution on punts, and they shouldn't be, then this is an obvious waiver claim to make. Several Detroit beatwriters believe the receiver will end up getting cut. The Lions are deep at the position—no doubt they will hope to sneak him back onto the practice squad. Poles should not let that happen. With an offense still finding its way, the Bears must maximize their scoring opportunities however possible.
