The Chicago Bears are keeping their options open with training camp just over one month away, particularly the linebacker position, where Brandon Smith is the latest player seeking an opportunity on the roster.
He plays a position that has been in flux for the Bears this offseason.
He also has NFL experience and could be the latest flier to latch on with the team after they relied on several such players last season.
Report: Defenders’ Brandon Smith Worked Out for Bears
Bears Show Interest in Ex-Panthers, Eagles LB Brandon Smith
Smith worked out for the Bears recently, per UFL analyst James Larsen in a post on X on June 22, though no specific date was provided.
Smith, 25, was a fourth-round pick, taken 120th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He spent one season with the Panthers before they waived him and he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Smith has 9 total tackles in 14 career games with one start.
He had 35 combined stops, 1.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 recovery in six regular-season games for the DC Defenders in the UFL this spring.
He had another 11 stops in the postseason. Smith helped the 2025 UFL champs return to the United Bowl, where they were defeated by former Bears running back Ian Wheeler and the Louisville Kings.
“Linebacker who is likely to test better than he plays at the next level,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote before the 2022 draft. “Smith possesses five-star traits and is extremely athletic, but those traits tend to go to waste on tape. There is a consistent lack of fundamentals that leave him out of position or blocked on too many plays. He lacks decisiveness and an aggressive demeanor that are fundamental in becoming an NFL linebacker.”
Smith also had stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets, but he did not see the field for either franchise during his time.
Bears LB Room Getting Attention During Summer Break
If he ultimately signs, Smith would be the second linebacker the Bears have added to their roster during their summer break before training camp. They signed former Cleveland Browns draft pick and Columbus Aviators LB Tony Fields II last week after a successful workout.
This comes after the Bears saw D’Marco Jackson suffer an injury in mandatory minicamp, while rookie Keyshaun Elliott missed most of the offseason program.
T.J. Edwards and Ruben Hyppolite II also missed portions of the spring circuit.
Not every absence was confirmed to be injury-related, and league rules do not force teams to divulge anything until the regular season. Moreover, head coach Ben Johnson will not meet with the media again until training camp.
The NFL announced on June 22 that the Bears’ rookie will report to camp on July 25, while veterans are to arrive by July 28.
Who the Bears have on the field and in the building will be a major focus.
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