Bear Digest

Hard-Charging Back Among Bears Returning on Futures Contracts

The Bears brought back practice squad members with futures contracts on Tuesday for the 2026 offseason, including several who made it into games.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears running back Brittain Brown scores a touchdown against Cincinnati after being elevated from the practice squad.
Bears running back Brittain Brown scores a touchdown against Cincinnati after being elevated from the practice squad. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears were undergoing a rash of running back injuries back near midseason and they had to turn to their practice squad for help. They found it.

They elevated Brittain Brown after bringing him back following roster cuts and a strong late preseason performance.

"We were really impressed with what he did in practice and what he put on  tape. We’d have no problem giving him the ball in games also," coach Ben Johnson said at the time.

Brown will be back in the future to compete for a roster spot.

Ryan Poles' Bears personnel department began the annual postseason process of signing players to futures contracts, including several who made it off of last year's practice squad and onto the 53-man roster for a game or two. Brown is among them.

Brown powered for 37 yards on five carries and scored a touchdown in the wild October win over Cincinnati. The 22-yard TD accounted for most of his yardage.

Tight end Stephen Carlson was the most familiar practice squad player signed to a futures contract. He has been on and off of the practice squad since 2023. He got into two games this season and has been in three total since coming to the team in 2023.

Wide receiver Maurice Alexander, defensive back Dallis Flowers, wide receiver J.P. Richardson and tight end Nikola Kalinic are the other practice squad players who appeared in games this season and signed futures contracts.

Flowers made it into the Dallas game and had a tackle, while Richardson and Alexander both made an appearance in a game.

Kalinic got into four games in a special teams role to rave reviews from special teams coordinator Richard Hightower. He played in both Bears playoff games. He had been with the Falcons, Rams and Colts prior to signing with the Bears.

The other players signed to futures deals were linebacker Nephi Sewell, the brother of Bears linebacker Noah Sewell, long snapper Luke Elkin, defensive lineman Jonathan Garvin, linebacker Dominique Hampton, offensive lineman Kyle Hergel, defensive back Dontae Manning, defensive lineman Jeremiah Matin and defensive back Gervarrius Owens.

All were on the Chicago practice squad in 2025.

Sewell was added just before the game with the Rams after T.J. Edwards' season-ending leg injury, but didn't get into Sunday's game.

Practice squad types might not seem like the most exciting subject but Nahshon Wright was a practice squad player who wound up in Chicago and then made five interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. He'll be a free agent in March and should get some decent offers.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.