Sam Roush contract: Bears sign TE to four-year deal

Sam Roush contract is done

The Chicago Bears have signed tight end Sam Roush to a four-year, $7.35 million rookie contract, per Adam Schefter. Schefter listed Roush as a second-round pick, but he was selected in the third round with the 69th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He was the last Bears draft pick to sign his rookie deal, a common outcome when early third-round picks push for provisions typically reserved for late second-round selections.

Who is Sam Roush?

Roush is a 6-foot-6, 267-pound tight end out of Stanford. Over four college seasons from 2022 to 2025, he appeared in 48 games with 34 starts, catching 119 passes for 1,201 yards and four touchdowns. He is not a deep threat. He is a reliable short-to-intermediate target.

Where does he fit on the depth chart?

Roush is TE3 in Chicago behind Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. General manager Ryan Poles described him as 'a really good addition at the tight end spot for a team that runs a lot of 12 and 13 personnel.'

That is not an empty label. In Ben Johnson's first season as head coach in 2025, third tight end Durham Smythe logged 293 offensive snaps, which was 25 percent of Chicago's offensive plays and 50 percent of special teams snaps. Roush is in line for that same role.

Fantasy value: dynasty stash, not a redraft add

There is no path to meaningful targets right now with Loveland and Kmet healthy and entrenched. For redraft, Roush has no immediate value.

For dynasty, he is worth a stash. His snap share floor is real given how consistently Chicago deploys three tight ends. Caleb Williams has already spoken highly of him. If either Kmet or Loveland misses time, Roush becomes a waiver wire name fast.