Chicago Bears rookie tight end Sam Roush had a nightmarish outing in Week 2, with his mistakes coming back to bite the team in its Sunday's 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Roush logged 29 snaps, including 20 on offense and nine on special teams. His afternoon included a dropped pass, a blocked field goal and a penalty that wiped away a promising gain.
The first major big came on a first-and-10 play when Roush was targeted as a checkdown option in the middle of the field. He failed to secure the pass. Later, on another first-and-10 from Minnesota's 17-yard line, Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams found Roush over the middle, but Vikings safety Theo Jackson hit him and knocked the ball loose after the catch. The play could have resulted in a touchdown had Roush maintained possession.
Four plays after that missed opportunity, Williams suffered a non-contact injury and left the game. Tyson Bagent took over at quarterback, but the Bears ultimately failed to score again and lost their first game of the season.
Roush was also involved in Chicago's blocked field goal. Lined up on the far left side of the formation, he appeared slow to react to the snap and failed to make contact with Minnesota linebacker Isaiah Rodgers, who got through to block Cairo Santos' attempt. The block came as the Bears were trying to tie the game.
However, the field-goal operation had other issues. Long snapper Beau Gardner's snap was high, while veteran tight end Cole Kmet, lined up on the opposite side, was also slow off the snap and did not get a hand on the Vikings' outside player.
Roush's mistakes continued in the second quarter when an illegal-shift penalty erased a 14-yard reception by Colston Loveland, further hurting a promising Chicago drive.
The Bears had multiple chances to change the outcome, including the blocked field goal and a lost fumble at Minnesota's 1-yard line. Chicago eventually reached the Vikings' 12-yard line on their final possession, but Bagent was sacked on fourth-and-2 as the game ended.
The afternoon exposed several areas Roush will need to clean up, though the rookie has barely gotten his feet wet with only two NFL games played. The Bears selected him in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft and had been impressed by his development during training camp. His 20 offensive snaps included only seven passing plays, consistent with his role as a run-blocking tight end.
Meanwhile, Minnesota's defense held firm, limiting Carson Wentz to 143 passing yards and sacking him three times. Justin Jefferson caught half of his targets for 55 yards, while the Vikings did not score a touchdown.