Ben Johnson Gave Details From the Phone Call That Brought Hayden Large to Chicago

If Ben Johnson's early praise is any indication, it appears Iowa TE/FB Hayden Large has an inside track at a roster spot.

Iowa Hawkeyes tight end Hayden Large (88) catches a pass Nov. 8, 2025 during a Big Ten Football game against the Oregon Ducks at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears began rookie minicamp today, and head coach Ben Johnson highlighted a few under-the-radar players that stood out to him in the pre-draft process when speaking to the media. One name that stood out was fullback/tight end Hayden Large. Johnson spoke glowingly of the University of Iowa product and said they reached out to him even before the draft was in the books.

Iowa Hawkeyes tight end Hayden Large (88) runs for yards after a catch during a college football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions Oct. 18, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Reason Hayden Large chose Chicago over other UDFA offers

"He was one of the guys that we identified well before the draft that he's a player that we really liked," Johnson said. "I actually called him before the draft and let him know that we had a vision for him."

Johnson had a vision for an undrafted rookie. I don't know about you, but that certainly seems like they see him sticking around. His comments regarding the selection of Stanford tight end Sam Roush in the third round further reinforce that notion.

"When you take a tight end in the third round, that's kind of like, 'Ah shoot, that might take us away from Hayden coming here', and yet, he didn't bat an eye," Johnson said. "This is where he wanted to be, and that speaks volumes about how he's wired. He was a walk-on at Iowa and had to earn playing time and going through a long, hard, road. I really think we got a good one there."

That's incredibly high praise for someone who didn't hear his name called during the draft. He was clearly a high-priority free agent in their eyes, and it's not difficult to see why that was the case.

Iowa’s Jacob Gill (5) and Hayden Large (88) celebrate Gill’s touchdown against Wisconsin Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Few players are more deserving of the opportunity than Large

The high praise isn't all that surprising if you know what Large went through to make a name for himself at Iowa. Johnson mentioned that he was a walk-on, but that was really only the case because he broke a piece of his pelvic bone off after tearing his hamstring during his senior year of high school. He had to spend 35 days on bed rest, and doctors were unsure whether he'd ever play football again.

Large played three years for small-school Dordt University before catching the attention of coaches at Iowa. He transferred there ahead of the 2023 college football season and quickly became a vocal leader for the university, and was responsible for belting out the pre-game hype speeches.

He was much more than a voice in the locker room, though. He was also a road-grader in between the hashes. While he didn't make much of a dent in the stat sheets, that was never going to be a strength of his game to begin with. The most obvious strength of his game is his strength.

Presence of Large could mean return of the fullback

If Large does manage to stick around, then that seems to indicate one thing from a schematic perspective: They're bringing back the fullback position. The Bears haven't utilized the position since Khari Blasingame was cut early in the 2024 season.

Johnson previously deployed fullback Jason Cabinda during his first two years as offensive coordinator in Detroit, but eventually transitioned to using his backup TEs in the role when they lined up in I-Formation. Large will technically be considered a TE, but his role appears destined to be that of the old-fashioned fullback.

It's no surprise that Large has caught Johnson's eye. The Bears' coach would field a roster solely consisting of tight ends if he could. I was initially skeptical that they'd have room to keep him around, factoring in the selection of Roush, but it really appears they might make it a priority after all.