Undrafted QB Miller Moss - teammates with Caleb Williams at USC - ‘fits right in' with Chicago Bears
Throughout the predraft process, Louisville quarterback Miller Moss didn't feel like the Chicago Bears were showing him a lot of love. But that changed in the two weeks leading up to draft day.
"Just with my conversations with (quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett) leading up to the draft and stuff like that," Moss said, "I felt really good about it and ended up agreeing to terms on that Saturday. … This was the best place for me and my development."
Moss became one of 13 undrafted free agents the Bears signed following their seven selections in the draft. He joins the Bears after one season at Louisville and four seasons at USC, where he spent two years behind quarterback Caleb Williams on the depth chart.
But the Bears aren't bringing him to Chicago solely because of his connection with Williams.
"That didn’t really factor into (signing Moss)," offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. "His tape popped off. This is a player that can play on time, that can be an accurate passer, that can win from the pocket, has enough ability to move around when need be. And then getting to know him just through this weekend, I think he’s going to fit right into the room."
Moss, 24, is poised to be the fourth quarterback on the Bears depth chart heading into OTAs this spring and training camp later this summer. Most NFL teams bring four quarterbacks to training camp, although it's an uphill battle for the fourth QB to make the 53-man roster.
Teams are always looking for young, overlooked quarterbacks to develop on the back end of the depth chart. Bears backup Tyson Bagent is a shining example of just how important it can be for teams to take a chance on a young quarterback, even when they're not necessarily looking for a starter.
Bagent came in as an undrafted rookie from Division II Shepherd University in 2023 and beat out a more experienced veteran for the backup role. He has held onto that role ever since and earned himself a contract extension last summer.
Moss comes in looking to compete with and learn from Williams, Bagent and 38-year-old veteran Case Keenum. The Bears want to see what they have in Moss, who threw for 2,679 yards with 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games for Louisville last season. He completed 64% of his passes along the way.
"It's important to keep working that quarterback room," general manager Ryan Poles said after the draft, "and making sure we've got guys that can come here and add to the competition and guys that we want to pour into so that we can develop, and then we'll see where it goes."
Photos: Chicago Bears rookie minicamp at Halas Hall
It started with rookie minicamp this weekend. Moss was one of two quarterbacks participating in minicamp, the other being rookie tryout Maverick McIvor out of Western Kentucky.
While the Bears say they didn’t bring Moss here because of his experience with Williams, that certainly doesn't hurt. Moss was the backup to Williams at USC in 2022 and 2023 after Williams transferred in from Oklahoma. Moss was there to witness Williams' Heisman Trophy season in 2022, when the Trojans went 11-3 and reached the Pac-12 championship game.
After Williams left for the NFL, Moss started nine games for the Trojans in 2024. With USC struggling to a 4-5 start, coach Lincoln Riley elected to make a switch at quarterback and go with Jayden Maiava for the final few games.
In the offseason, Moss transferred to Louisville and led the Cardinals to a 9-3 record in his 12 starts. Moss believes going from Riley's spread offense to Louisville coach Jeff Brohm's more pro-style attack was a good precursor to life in the NFL.
"Having that year where I learned how to call 15-word plays in the huddle, how to get guys lined up, motions, shifts, more complicated stuff like that, that has helped me tremendously in terms of my transition into the league now," Moss said.
Moss will get a crash course in coach Ben Johnson's offense in the coming weeks. With the veteran players, the coaching staff is excited that it doesn't have to teach them an entire new scheme from scratch this spring. That goes for quarterbacks, but really for every position.
For the rookies, there's going to be more of a learning curve. Johnson is an intense coach. Moss had his first taste of it this weekend at minicamp.
"He's going to coach you hard," Moss said. "That's why you're here and want to play at this level and compete. I expected a little bit of hard coaching. That's part of what makes him so great, and I look forward to more hard coaching."
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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 6:12 AM.