People love to say that preseason games don’t matter and especially that fourth preseason game. The starters don’t play. The scores don’t count against the final record. So what’s the point? Preseason games aren’t about that stuff. They’re about roster evaluation. It’s a final opportunity for coaches and team executives to get a look at the bottom half of the depth chart, perhaps to see if there was something they might’ve missed.
Sometimes this last chance can pay off for players. Those who have had a hard time getting noticed but so happen to save their big moment for right at the end. It’s happened more than people think. The Bears have had a lot of preseason finale standouts over the past several years, and quite a number of them have gone on to make greater contributions to the team.
Here are some names fans will remember.
Adrian Peterson (2002)
The Bears were a running team in the early 2000s, spearheaded by former Rookie of the Year Anthony Thomas. By 2002 they were hoping to build some depth in order to ease his workload but had yet to find someone up to the task. Then this rookie out of Georgia Southern had himself a night against the Dolphins. Adrian Peterson ripped off 65 yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries. That performance ended up getting him a long-term role as a backup running back during one of the teams’ most successful periods.
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Hunter Hillenmeyer (2004)
Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs were in place by the start of the 2004 NFL year. Head coach Lovie Smith was searching for somebody who could fill the void at strongside linebacker. Second-year man Hunter Hillenmeyer had done nothing as a rookie, but he took advantage in that game, collecting three tackles and forcing a big fumble. He was the starter by the end of that season.
Johnny Knox (2009)
Most people only remember Jay Cutler coming over in the blockbuster trade with Denver. They forget the Bears also got a fifth round pick back in the deal. That pick became Abilene Christian wide receiver Johnny Knox. He was a bit of an unknown at the time. People figured he was just a depth option. Then he delivered two catches for 62 yards in the finale including a pretty 43-yard catch and run. Knox would end up posting 527 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie and become one of their best receivers over the next three seasons.
Josh Bellamy (2014)
All anybody knew about Josh Bellamy in 2014 was he’d failed to latch on in Kansas City and Washington the previous two years before signing in Chicago. Most viewed him as a camp boy entering the season. Someone who didn’t offer much offensively. Then he delivered four catches for 78 yards including a beautiful 32-yard grab with a defensive back draped all over him. He would become a quality reserve option on offense and a key special teams contributor.
Jordan Howard (2016)
People knew Jordan Howard was a fifth round pick in 2016. He’d had a solid one-year stint in Indiana before that. So he was a bit of a mystery. The Cleveland Browns found out who he was and saw glimpses of what he would become in the finale when he carved them up for 107 yards rushing, 33 receiving and scored a touchdown. It was a dominant performance. One that catapulted Howard towards become the Bears starter, make the Pro Bowl and set the teams’ rookie rushing record.
