AMEGADJIE WON’T PRACTICE TILL CAMP
Offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie, the Bears’ third-round draft pick, won’t practice this offseason as he recovers from a quad injury. The Bears expect him to be healthy in time for training camp in July, coach Matt Eberflus said before rookie minicamp practice Friday.
The swing tackle played only four games for Yale last year before suffering the injury. The Bears expected they’d have to bring him along slowly when they picked him 75th overall last month.
“We knew about this injury, this quad injury that he had at his college, and we want to get that process in terms of the whole rehab and everything so he’s healthy for training camp,” Eberflus said.
The Bears will have organized team activities later this month and a mandatory minicamp in June. They’ll start training camp July 19, about a week earlier than normal because of their participation in the Hall of Fame Game against the Titans.
Amegadjie, a Hinsdale Central alum, was available in the third round partly because of his injury-shortened season. He could have stayed an extra season in college but chose to enter the draft. On draft night, he admitted that the calf injury was “pretty bad timing” for his draft positioning.
Still in orange and blue
The Bears didn’t take a defensive tackle in the draft, so Keith Randolph Jr., an undrafted free agent from Illinois, figures to get a good shot in training camp.
The 6-5, 300-pounder fits a profile the Bears like — he’s a former basketball player who started on Belleville West’s back-toback Class 4A state championship teams in 2018 and 2019. He was a team captain in college, as well as a bit of a late bloomer. He did not start playing football until his junior year at Belleville West, when he weighed 220 pounds.
Randolph was disappointed to be undrafted but said “a whole bunch of different teams” called to sign him after the draft and he’s glad it worked out with his home-state team.
“I’m just here to help the team wherever they put me. If they put me at corner, I’ll do that, too,” said Randolph, who had 1oe sacks and four tackles for loss in 10 games at Illinois last year after having 4oe sacks and 13 tackles for loss as a junior. “Whatever they need me to do, I’m ready to put on that ‘C’ and show out for Chicago.”
A familiar face
Quarterback Caleb Williams stayed a few minutes after practice to throw to a familiar face — John Jackson III, his former USC teammate whom the Bears have in for a tryout.
Jackson, one of Williams’ good friends, caught 35 passes for 267 yards last season after transferring to Nevada.
“It’s awesome,” Williams said. “I’m excited for him and this opportunity. We’ve been working hard trying to dig into the playbook and things like that because he’s in a situation where he’s coming in here trying out. Just getting in here working hard, getting after it. Trying to give himself and myself the best advantage, and having a connection like that always helps.”
Jackson had one catch for USC in 2022, the year Williams won the Heisman Trophy. He has deep USC roots.
His dad graduated as the Trojans’ all-time receptions leader in 1989 before joining the Cardinals. His grandfather is a former USC offensive coordinator and running backs coach. ✶