Bears sign WR John Jackson III, one of Caleb Williams’ best friends, after rookie minicamp

By most accounts, the Chicago Bears’ 2024 rookie minicamp was a resounding success. Caleb Williams looked the part, as did wide receiver Rome Odunze, who was so busy catching passes on Friday that he was forced to sit out Saturday with a sore hamstring.

But the Bears’ two first-rounders weren’t the only players who stood out. General manager Ryan Poles signed six of the participants to contracts, including wide receiver John Jackson III, one of Williams’ best friends.

MORE: Should Chicago Bears fans be concerned about Rome Odunze’s injury?

Jackson played the 2023 season with Nevada after two years at USC. He totaled 35 catches for 267 yards in 2023.

Bears have signed John Jackson iii, WR, after Rookie Minicamp.

John & Caleb Williams are best friends pic.twitter.com/Pp4QJbXqOE

— Sadeek (@SadeekNextWave) May 13, 2024

Naturally, speculation will begin about whether Jackson’s relationship with Caleb Williams resulted in a contract. Maybe it did. For Jackson, none of that matters. He now has an opportunity to impress Bears coaches in training camp, and, sometimes, an opportunity is all it takes for a player to succeed in the NFL.

Here are the other five players who signed with the Chicago Bears:

TE Tommy Sweeney (veteran)
CB Leon Jones (Arkansas State)
DT DaShaun Mallory (ASU)
LB Paul Moala (GA Tech)
WR Freddie Swain (veteran)

All six signees have an uphill battle to make the final roster, but with the NFL’s expanded practice squad rules, there’s a chance one or more of them could stick around with the Chicago Bears into the 2024 regular season.