scotty miller is at the Bears’ rookie minicamp at Halas Hall, trying to win a roster spot while the team sorts through its first look at newcomers. The veteran wide receiver is working in the same setting as tryout players Josh Kreutz and Jai Williams, turning the weekend into an early test for multiple players.
Halas Hall and Miller
The Bears held rookie minicamp at Halas Hall, and Miller’s presence gave the group a veteran name in a setting built around evaluation. He is angling for a roster spot with Chicago, so every rep carries more weight than a routine offseason drill.
That part of the story is simple. Miller is not there as a finished answer; he is there to compete for one.
Kreutz and Williams Arrive
Josh Kreutz and Jai Williams were also in camp on a tryout basis, adding two more players whose routes to this weekend ran through family ties and football lineage. Kreutz is a three-year starting center at Illinois, while Williams played at Kentucky in 2023 and Quincy University in 2024-25.
Both wore the same numbers their fathers once carried in Chicago. Kreutz wore 57, and Williams wore 71.
Bears Family History
The family link runs deep enough to explain why this minicamp drew attention beyond a standard tryout weekend. Olin Kreutz was chosen by the Bears in the third round of the 1998 draft out of Washington, then went on to make six Pro Bowls in 13 seasons in Chicago while appearing in 191 games with 183 starts.
James “Big Cat” Williams spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the Bears from 1991-2002, played in 166 games with 143 starts, and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2001 after joining the team as an undrafted free agent defensive end from Cheyney State. He was moved to offensive tackle midway through his second season.
Josh Kreutz called the experience “It is surreal,” and said, “I grew up as a Bears fan, so I'm very excited to be here. But I'm also focused on doing my job and learning the playbook and becoming a better player … I mean, I knew I wanted to play in the NFL and I'm happy I got a tryout, especially with the Bears being a hometown kid and being a Bears fan my whole life. But I really want to get on the 90-man roster; that's my goal being here.”
For Miller, the clean takeaway is the one that usually decides these weekends. He is not just taking part; he is trying to turn a minicamp look into a place on the 90-man roster, with the Bears using Halas Hall to sort veterans, tryout players, and the next names that might stick.
