This is our online morning newsletter, Bear Necessities. Subscribe to get the latest Bears news delivered to your mailbox every day.
New Bears wide receiver N’Keal Harry is embracing his fresh start in Chicago. The Bears traded for the former first-round pick, sending a 2024 seventh rounder to the Patriots earlier this month.
It’s the kind of low-risk, high-reward move that general manager Ryan Poles has made all offseason. Poles praised Harry’s skillset and physical traits, and he believes Harry can help improve this team.
Harry disappointed during his time in New England, where he didn’t live up to his first-round billing. In three seasons with the Patriots, Harry totaled 57 receptions for 598 yards and four touchdowns. Simply put, it’s been bad.
But Harry isn’t focused on what went wrong in New England. Instead, he’s focusing on doing what he can to help his new team win.
“I got a real chip on my shoulder,” Harry told reporters on Wednesday. “I’m looking to come in and prove that I can help this team win.”
Harry has something to prove, and that starts with earning a roster spot in an otherwise unproven receiving corp. Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle and Velus Jones Jr. are the only locks at wideout this summer. Which means Harry has a good chance of earning a roster spot.
“I just want to show how dominant I can be as a player in the NFL,” he said.
But Harry isn’t the only wideout in that room with something to prove. Veterans like Dante Pettis, David Moore and Dazz Newsome are also looking to earn a roster spot. It’s something that Harry is embracing.
“This is a golden opportunity for all of us,” Harry said. “It’s just, who’s going to grab it?”