Chicago Bears cut ties with former third-round pick

Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles decided it was time to move on from one of his early-round draft picks.

Aug 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Chicago Bears helmet against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The moment the Chicago Bears signed veteran defensive lineman Grady Jarrett to a lucrative free-agent contract last March, the clock on Zacch Pickens' tenure in Chicago seemed to run out.

On Tuesday, it officially did.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Bears will cut ties with the 2023 third-round pick.

The #Bears are waiving defensive lineman Zacch Pickens, a third-round pick in 2023, per source. pic.twitter.com/ZCs6WZrx6D

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 26, 2025

There's no other way to put it: Pickens has been one of Poles' worst draft picks and qualifies as a third-round bust.

The former South Carolina standout appeared in 26 games with three starts over the last two years, managing just 1.5 sacks and 39 tackles during that span.

Pickens was hampered by injury in 2024, and with Jarrett and second-round pick Shemar Turner joining the defensive tackle rotation, there was no reason for the Bears to work on developing Pickens any further.

While this decision isn't much of a surprise, it still stings. Missing on third-round picks eventually come back to haunt a team's long-term rebuilding effort, and Pickens was certainly as big of a miss as they come.

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