Bears Host Tryout For Rookie QB After Caleb Williams Struggles in First NFL Game

The Chicago Bears may bring more company into the QB room for rookie Caleb Williams before the end of the week.

Chicago hosted tryouts for eight players on Tuesday, September 10. Half of them are wide receivers, as rookie and No. 9 overall pick Rome Odunze suffered a sprained MCL in the team's season opener against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

However, one quarterback was among them -- Gavin Hardison , most recently of UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso).

"#Bears worked out Gavin Hardison, Kearis Jackson, Cornelius Johnson, Jordan Kerley, Armani Rogers, David Wallis, Damarion Williams [and] Joel Wilson," Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reported via a post to X.

Hardison is a 24-year-old undrafted free agent rookie who played 37 games across five seasons with the Miners in Conference USA. He produced 7,962 passing yards, 40 TDs and 33 INTs over that span.

The QB had two seasons of more than 2,000 yards at the NCAA level (2021 and 2022) and set a career mark in 2021 with 3,217 yards and 18 TD passes. UTEP earned a place in the New Mexico Bowl that year after a 7-5 regular season, which the Miners lost to the Fresno State Bulldogs by a score of 31-24 .

Chicago has had good luck with undrafted rookie quarterbacks over the past two years. Backup QB Tyson Bagent was the first such player that the Bears added over that span, joining the team ahead of the 2023 campaign. He ended up starting four games during his rookie campaign, earning a record of 2-2 , and remains the backup to Williams this season.

The other is Austin Reed , who Chicago added this offseason. Reed is currently on the Bears' practice squad, which is likely where Hardison will reside should he earn a spot in the organization following his tryout Tuesday.