Da Bears Land a Lion Star: Former Detroit WR Makes Shocking Move to Chicago
Another former member of the Detroit Lions has decided to follow head coach Ben Johnson to the Chicago Bears for the 2025 NFL season.
The Bears have already hired a few assistant coaches with ties to Johnson from his previous six seasons with the Lions, including assistant head coach/wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El and quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett.
Before the weekend, they also saw their first player defection from Detroit.
According to the NFL’s official transaction wire for January 31, the Bears signed a reserve/future contract with former Lions wide receiver and return specialist Maurice Alexander Jr. last Friday, adding him to their 90-man offseason roster.
Alexander had hinted at joining the Bears one day earlier when he posted a picture of himself inside Halas Hall on Instagram with a telling caption.
“Blessed is an understatement!” Alexander wrote on his post, tagging the Bears’ official account along with the “Bear Down” emojis.
Alexander has not played much in the NFL — precisely seven total offensive snaps with the Lions in 2022 — but he did spend the majority of the past three seasons learning Johnson’s offensive tendencies with their practice squad.
Before joining the Lions, Alexander also played for the Philadelphia Stars during the 2022 USFL season. He caught 20 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns and had strong yards-per-return averages on kickoffs (31.5) and punts (12.6).
Alexander will now have a chance to compete for a spot on the Bears’ 2025 roster as a depth receiver and a potential option for them in the return game.
The Bears may still see more Lions players follow Johnson to Chicago in the months to come once NFL unrestricted free agency begins on March 12.