Former Texas Tech football standout finally gets a shot in the NFL
They say that good things come to those who wait. Hopefully, that's the case for former Texas Tech defensive tackle Jaylon Hutchings.
After going undrafted in this year's NFL Draft, Hutchings is finally receiving his shot to play at the next level. It was reported Sunday by Houston-area reporter Aaron Wilson that the Forney, Texas native is signing with the Chicago Bears.
Hutchings suffered a torn meniscus at the end of the 2023 season causing him to miss Texas Tech's Independence Bowl win over Cal and likely causing him to remain unsigned by an NFL team given that he was unable to work out for franchises.
Now, he is healthy and he is going to training camp with the Bears. That's the good news.
#Bears signing former @TexasTechFB defensive tackle Jaylon Hutchings, per a league source @KPRC2 Went undrafted while recovering fully from a torn meniscus, fully healthy now and former honorable-mention All-Big 12 selection joins NFC North franchise after successful workout
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 11, 2024
The bad news is that training camp is nearly halfway over. The Bears have already played two preseason games and have only two left. That means there isn't much time for Hutchings to make an impression on his new franchise.
Of course, in his Red Raider career, the 300-pound nose tackle made quite the impression on the people of West Texas. In fact, he was one of the best defensive linemen the program has produced in the past two decades.
Appearing in 62 games, Hutchings made 57 starts. He wound up with 192 tackles (108 solo) including 26.0 for a loss and 11 sacks.
A three-time honorable-mention All-Big 12 performer, Hutchings played over 2,700 snaps in scarlet and black. That was due in part to the extra year of eligibility awarded to players because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As for the Bears, they are looking for depth along the defensive line. Run-stopping veteran tackle Andrew Billings is their most proven commodity in the middle. After that, there aren't many guarantees for Chicago.
Hopefully, Hutchings will get a shot at providing the Bears with what they need. One has to believe that if they were happy with the options they have in camp, they wouldn't be bringing in new players to compete for jobs. So keep an eye on news out of Chicago because Hutchings has a real opportunity to make some waves in the Windy City.
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