Former Viking Tries Out for Bears Roster
The Chicago Bears own a 1-5 record through six games, trapped in a debate among fans whether the club should stick it out with quarterback Justin Fields for the long haul or possibly draft USC’s Caleb Williams next April.
Former Viking Tries Out for Bears Roster
The Minnesota Vikings downed those very Bears at Soldier Field last weekend, a sloppy survival festival of gridiron buffoonery. The two clubs always produce weird antics at that venue, and Week 6 was no different.
Then this week, the Bears auditioned a former Viking for its practice squad, FB-TE Jake Bargas.
KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweeted on the X app Tuesday, “Bears worked out Jake Bargas, Ian Book, Keke Coutee, Trace McSorley (signed), Bryce Perkins, Vyncint Smith.”
Bargas previously spent a little time with the Bears in the summer of 2022 but saw no regular season action. Depending on the outcome of the audition, that could change.
Here’s Bargas’ career destination resume to date:
- Minnesota Vikings (2020–2021)
- Chicago Bears (2022)
- Miami Dolphins (2022)
- New Orleans Saints (2023)
Bargas, 26, spent two seasons with the Vikings, mainly as a practice squad member. He did, however, play a handful of regular season snaps in Minnesota — in 2020 versus the New Orleans Saints on Christmas Day and last year against the Lions in a road loss.
Discovered as an undrafted free agent from North Carolina following the 2020 NFL Draft, Bargas was usually the Vikings “second fullback” behind C.J. Ham. As a Tarheel from 2016 to 2019, Bargas played tight end, so it is unclear if the Bears would embrace him as a fullback or tight end.
If Chicago envisions Bargas as a TE, he’d battle Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, and Mercedes Lewis for playing time. Otherwise, at fullback, the Bears employ Khari Blasingame, also a former Viking.
At North Carolina, Bargas was a TE target for current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. In addition to Bargas and Blasingame, Chicago also has Aviante Collins, DeMarquis Gates, Yannick Ngakoue, and Joejuan Williams on the roster as ex-Vikings.
Bargas was scooped for a roster spot by the Saints at the end of May and remained for training camp and the preseason before getting cut casualty fate at the NFL’s 53-man trimdown deadline.
The Bears offense ranks 29th in the NFL per DVOA through six weeks, only besting the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, and New York Giants.
The Vikings take on the Bears again in 40 days at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Chicago also employs tight end Stephen Carlson and fullback Robert Burns on its practice squad.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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