How Miller Moss can factor into the future of the Chicago Bears QB room

At Chicago Bears rookie minicamp, everyone was aware of the ties that bound Miller Moss to the team.

Moss has experience with one of the biggest stars at Halas Hall. He was a teammate of Caleb Williams at USC for two seasons in Los Angeles.

But, that’s not why the team signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Louisville.

"That didn't really factor into what it was. His tape popped off," Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. "This is a player that can play on time, that can be an accurate passer, that can win from the pocket and has enough ability to move around when need be."

The Bears saw a player they could develop in their quarterback room. His development could pay off if the Bears want to stay ahead of the curve with their quarterback room.

Big picture view:

The Bears saw Moss as a player who has the right traits to fit in coach Ben Johnson’s offense.

"You just saw a poise. You see an experienced guy that played a lot of football," Taylor said. "The way he operates in the huddle, the way he operates in the meeting room, it is all stuff that we heard from the coaches that have worked with him in the past in college."

Experience with Williams is just an added plus, but his college career gave Moss what he needed.

Moss was William’s backup at USC and took over as the Trojans’ starting quarterback after Williams left for the NFL Draft. Moss lost the starting job at USC to Jayden Maiava and transferred to Louisville, where he led the Cardinals to a nine-win season.

In that lone season at Louisville, Moss threw for 2,679 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games. He also ran for nine scores. But, the most significant development was how Moss learned a different side of being a quarterback.

Under Louisville head coach and former quarterback Brian Brohm, Moss learned how to pick up a pro-style system quickly and adapt it to his skill set. This is different from USC, where Trojan head coach Lincoln Riley’s offense operated with quickness.

Moss still had significant mentors at USC. Riley mentored NFL quarterbacks Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield and Jalen Hurts. He also had Kliff Kingsbury at USC, who he’s still in contact with.

"At USC, we were all signals at the line. We never huddled," Moss said. "Having that year where I learned how to call 15-word play in a huddle, how to get guys lined up motion shifts, more complicated stuff like that, has helped me tremendously in terms of the transition into the league."

Moss brings that to the Bears, where he displayed accuracy and poise at rookie minicamp. While some players struggled getting lined up, Moss directed the offense and had no issues knowing where players were supposed to be and when.

That could lead to a year when patience can pay off.

What's next:

Moss isn’t a stranger to the biggest differences at each level of football.

"The biggest difference that I felt, both making that transition previously was the pocket just in high school. You're kind of hanging out back there and in college the pocket was a lot different to navigate," Moss said. "I'm sure there are going to be things that pop up that I'm like, okay, this is completely different. Speed is a lot faster. The biggest thing for me is just repetition and getting acclimated in that way."

At the NFL level, Moss will be counted on to develop. The Bears are going to keep an eye on him, especially as the coaching staff sees the potential he has with his processing and ability to pass the ball.

Taylor said the Bears’ mission is to put him in a position to succeed. If he succeeds, he could become a factor into the Bears’ quarterback room.

"Our mission is to find that out and put him in position to see if he could succeed in this realm," Taylor said. "I don’t think you’re ever going to be disappointed to have a full quarterback room of a lot of guys who can play. That’s a great problem to have, and we’ll just have to see where we can get him."

If Moss develops to the point where the Bears are comfortable, he could be an important part of the future of the quarterback room.

The 2027 NFL Draft is expected to be one of the deepest quarterback drafts in the past decade. The Bears don’t need a quarterback. They’ve been open about extending Caleb Williams’ contract this offseason, which means he’s their long-term star.

But, other teams might opt for a young quarterback. They might want an experienced quarterback to bridge from one season to the next. Bears’ backup quarterback Tyson Bagent is an experienced player who was in the middle of trade talks this offseason. If the Bears get an offer they can’t refuse for a backup quarterback, that would mean the Bears need another backup.

Case Keenum is the third quarterback on the Bears’ roster. He’s 38 years old and is more of a mentor to the quarterback room. He contemplated retirement before the Bears signed him before the 2025 season.

There’s a good chance Moss doesn’t make the Bears’ 2026 roster. That might not be the worst thing for him, though. If Moss spends the year on the practice squad, he could earn the chance to compete for the backup quarterback job in 2027 if the Bears’ roster turns over.

After all, it’s never a bad idea to invest in the most important position in football.

Moss’ presence gives the Bears a quarterback they can work with this entire offseason, going into the preseason and maybe beyond. Moss knows this, too.

"This was the best place for me and my development," he said.