Bear Necessities: Rookie WR Dazz Newsome is making up for lost time

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There was a lot of hype surrounding rookie wide receiver Dazz Newsome coming out of the draft given his potential to contribute as a slot receiver and a punt returner.

But just as Newsome was getting into the swing of things during OTAs, he suffered a setback when he broke his collarbone when he landed on his shoulder while hauling in a pass.

The injury, which required surgery, sidelined Newsome for a couple of months, where he missed the rest of OTAs, veteran minicamp and the start of training camp. And for a rookie, there’s nothing more valuable than reps, which Newsome didn’t get a ton of during the offseason. There’s only so much he could do studying the playbook.

“You’ve got to really be on the field for it to click a lot,” Newsome said. “Obviously, that’s the toughest part.”

With Newsome missing those valuable reps, he’s making up for lost time as he works for a roster spot in a competitive receiver battle. While Newsome is a slot receiver, he’s learning all the receiver positions.

“The only thing I would say is the biggest challenge is just knowing what to do at every position and where to be at every position,” he said. “But other than that, I’ve just got to ball.”

Newsome will get his opportunity to do that during these upcoming preseason games, where he has a chance to contribute on offense and potentially special teams as a punt returner. And the Bears are eager to see what Newsome can do, now that he’s healthy.

“It’ll be interesting to get him out there and really get going and see what he can do,” said Matt Nagy. “He’s got an infectious personality as you all see. It’s very authentic and real. It’s also neat to see him want to learn from these older receivers, too. He’s just taking it all in.”