Free agency may have started a week ago, but the moves around the NFL don’t stop. Recently, Caleb Williams found out that the Chicago Bears are pairing him with a player who caught passes from Lamar Jackson before playing with Trevor Lawrence last year.
On Tuesday, NFL insider Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reported that wide receiver and return specialist Devin Duvernay has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Bears for the 2025 season. The team later confirmed the move on its official website.
Duvernay, who turns 28 in September, made the Pro Bowl in back-to-back NFL seasons in 2022 and 2023 thanks to impressive performances returning kicks. Curiously, he’s the cousin of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
Selected out of Texas in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Ravens, Duvernay spent four years alongside Jackson in Baltimore before leaving for the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he worked with Lawrence.
Duvernay’s time with Jackson’s Ravens
After being limited to mostly special teams snaps in his first two years with the Ravens, Duvernay saw increased playing time in Jackson’s offense in 2022, when the Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown trade paved the way for him to become a starter.
That season saw Duvernay post career-high numbers in starts (13), catches (37), receiving yards (407), and touchdowns (3). He also had 12 carries for 84 rushing yards with a touchdown.
A brief stint in Jacksonville before Chicago move
After a relatively quiet 2023 NFL season where he also dealt with a back injury, Duvernay joined the Jaguars in 2024. He barely had opportunities to make plays with Lawrence though, as he was mostly used as a return specialist.
Whether he’ll get more chances with Williams in Chicago remains to be seen, but the Bears can expect a useful special teams player in Duvernay, who boasts 2,162 yards in 87 returned kicks, including two kickoffs returned for a touchdown.