The Chicago Bears stepped up the offensive line with the signing of former Denver Broncos offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson, who could bring some competition in the vacant right tackle position, to a one-year deal.
Mike Klis, who covers the Broncos for 9News, originally reported that Wilkinson visited the Bears on Tuesday, where a deal had been struck. Wilkinson took to Instagram soon after to share the news that he was a bear.
Elijah Wilkinson confirms that he is a bear. https://t.co/rEXfUdvweo https://t.co/RS8aPq4zAl
– Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) March 23, 2021
#Bears signed OL Elijah Wilkinson according to his latest Instagram post. pic.twitter.com/mjQD4ciGuG
– Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) March 23, 2021
BIG MAN comes through!
OL Elijah Wilkinson goes to the Windy City. pic.twitter.com/nOfRuDfjX0
– Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 23, 2021
Chicago needs a good tackle, which Wilkinson could certainly fit in with. Wilkinson served as the Broncos’ best back-up swing guard / tackle, playing in 45 games, including 26 starts. While Wilkinson has started out in both tackling and guarding, he has mostly served as a tackle for the Broncos since joining the league in 2017 as an undrafted free agent.
But Wilkinson will have to beat Germain Ifedi, who recently signed another one-year contract with the Bears last week. Chicago will also likely be targeting an offensive tackle in next month’s draft. But there is still a need for depth on the tackle position outside of a starting roll.