REPORT: Bears plan to cut preseason standout wide receiver

Veteran receiver Collin Johnson reportedly being targeted during 53-man roster cuts

53-man roster cuts have begun, and the Bears are looking to cut a receiver. Collin Johnson had a solid but short preseason with the Chicago Bears. Johnson showed he should get another chance as a pass-catcher in the NFL.

Johnson played only one game but made the most of his time. The receiver caught three passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns on six targets.

That said, the Bears have a logjam at receiver. For the first time in years, the Chicago Bears have a plethora of highly skilled and talented pass-catchers. Because of this, the Bears are planning to cut Johnson.

Bears plan to cut Johnson as the team has too many receivers

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune relayed this information on Tuesday morning. Biggs mentions that he expects Johnson to find a spot on the Bears practice squad.

#Bears are planning to waive WR Collin Johnson, who has been out since a 2-touchdown performance in the Hall of Fame Game. He is healthy now and is expected to be re-signed to the practice squad.

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) August 27, 2024

Johnson clearly has more to give on an NFL field, but keeping him on the practice squad is not what is best for him. Collin Johnson is 26-years-old, his clock is ticking. The average retirement age for an NFL player is 27-years-old. NFL players retire young because of the brutal physicality. Spending a significant amount of his remaining time on the Bears practice squad is not ideal for Johnson.

Johnson could still be productive in the NFL, he proved that this preseason as well as during training camp. The best thing for the Bears to do would be to let him go. With the Bears depth at wide receiver, there is little to no chance he would ever see the field.

The Chicago Bears receiving corps has no room for Collin Johnson

Johnson’s biggest selling point is his size. The Bears receivers have solid size all around. As far as the three main receivers go, D.J. Moore is the shortest of the bunch at 6 foot. Johnson is 6 foot 6 inches, which is a huge receiving target that could have major impact in the red zone.

That would be true if the Bears didn’t have a different 6 foot 6 inch starting pass catcher. Cole Kmet is the same height as Collin Johnson, and a bit heavier too. Kmet emerged as an elite pass catching tight end in the past two seasons. If the Bears need a big target in the red zone, Kmet is the guy.

Collin Johnson is a large big-bodied receiver who thrives in jump ball situations. Unfortunately for him, one-on-one contested catches is Rome Odunze’s bread and butter. Odunze consistently beats defenders of all sizes in contested catch situations.

Then there is Keenan Allen. Allen specialty is as a possession receiver. No matter the distance on third down, Keenan Allen is the guy a quarterback wants to target. Allen won’t typically record a lot of run after catch yards, but he will exploit holes in a defense. If the Bears need to extend a drive, Keenan Allen is the go to guy.

Last but certainly not least is D.J. Moore. Moore is the number one receiver of the Chicago Bears. He is wicked fast with elite route running skills. Moore finds himself open to catch a pass more often than not. Which makes him a reliable target for Caleb Williams. Moore is the big play threat for the Bears. No matter where the offense is on the field, the opposing defense needs to keep an eye on Moore.

It could be argued that Tyler Scott holds the edge over Collin Johnson as the fourth receiver on the depth chart. Scott was a project pick by the Bears in the 2023 NFL draft. Scott has seen significant improvement during training camp this year and should have a roster spot locked down. Scott is a smaller receiver at 5 foot 11 inches, weighing in at 185 lbs. Speed and elusiveness are the name of Scotts game. Scott could evolve into the prefect slot receiver for the Bears and become a solid threat in the five wide formation.