The Chicago Bears are releasing Scotty Miller on August 30, 2026, a move that fits the broader shift toward a younger wide receiver group. It also leaves the back end of the roster open to competition as the Bears continue to trim down to their final shape.
Miller, 29, has been the kind of player teams often cycle through in camp: experienced, reliable enough to know the system, and useful as a potential veteran practice squad stash. But this time the Bears have chosen to move on, and the decision reflects where the roster is heading rather than any single standout moment.
A veteran option falls out of the mix
The main context here is simple. Chicago has been moving in a younger direction at wide receiver after trading D.J. Moore to Buffalo, and Miller no longer fits as a must-keep piece in that room. He has had value in the past as a depth option, but the Bears appear to be prioritising younger bodies and more developmental upside at the position.
That is often what these late-August moves are about. A player with Miller’s profile can look useful in camp because he knows how to work, how to move through the building, and how to stay ready. But once the roster picture sharpens, teams tend to ask a different question: who can still help in the regular season, and who is simply there to cover the numbers?
What Miller has done before
Miller’s career has already shown that he can contribute in the right spot. In 2020, he finished the regular season with 502 receiving yards and caught a crucial end-of-half touchdown from Tom Brady in Super Bowl LV. That remains the sort of moment that keeps a veteran like him interesting to coaches and front offices.
He also spent 2023 with the Falcons and was on the field in all Falcons contests during Arthur Smith’s 2023 Atlanta finale. Then came 2024-25 with the Steelers, where he played 26 games. Those stops reinforce the same point: Miller has been able to hang around because he understands how to slot into different environments.
Who competes for the last receiver jobs?
Once a veteran like Miller is released, the focus shifts to the players behind the main names. The Bears’ No. 6 wide receiver role now becomes a live battle, with Kaden Davis and Maurice Alexander among the names in the mix.
That does not mean the spot is glamorous. It means the team is looking for dependable depth, special teams value, and someone who can survive the final roster squeeze. For a receiver at this stage of the depth chart, the margin is usually small and the decision is often about fit as much as talent.
There was even the sort of dry reaction that follows these late roster moves: “That’s your que Steelers. Bring him back and cut Roman.” It is the kind of comment that reflects how quickly these decisions travel through the league.
For the Bears, though, the takeaway is more straightforward. Scotty Miller’s release confirms a younger direction at receiver, and it pushes the final roster conversation toward the bottom of the depth chart rather than the top. The competition now is not about star power, but about who can best justify a place when the numbers are finally set.
