Former Kentucky football wide receiver Ryan Timmons has signed with the Bear as an undrafted free agent.
Timmons joins the likes of fellow Kentucky Football players Boom Williams and JD Harmon as players who’ve signed with teams since the draft.
Ryan Timmons, a Franklin County product, generated a lot of hype when he committed to Kentucky in 2013. He didn’t produce a bunch while he was here, but the potential was always evident every time he took the field. The 5-10 speed demon has now found a home with the Chicago Bears, where opportunity arises.
Timmons, while at Kentucky, saw his best years in his first two seasons. In his freshman and sophomore season, Timmons was force fed, tallying up 77 receptions for 874 yards with 4 touchdowns. The next two seasons, after somewhat of a disappointment, he was less utilized in the offense. That paired with the uptick in recruiting once Coach Stoops settled in, Timmons became quickly overshadowed.
That being said, despite the inconsistency of his hands, he brought tremendous experience and speed his senior year. Because of his contributions, the Wildcats reached their first bowl game in the Stoops Era.
The Opportunity for Timmons in Chicago
All I need is an opportunity! Blessed the #ChicagoBears are giving me one. Keep Faith. Call God📞
— Ryan Timmons (@Rimmons_5) April 30, 2017
Ryan Timmons couldn’t have landed in a much better situation. The Bears recently lost Pro Bowl wide receiver Alshon Jeffery to the Philadelphia Eagles. This leaves Kevin White, Cameron Meredith, and newly signed Markus Wheaton to take over. This is the NFL, and all of these guys can play, but those receivers are replaceable. If any of them were to not perform well, or succumb to an injury, the door is wide open for Timmons.
Also, the Bears traded up for Mitchell Trubisky with the number two overall pick. The Bears offense is in complete rebuild mode, and Timmons is on the ground floor now. Rookie quarterbacks typically throw short passes early on until they get comfortable with the system. Ryan is a slot receiver who specializes in the short-field catches and turning them into more. If there were any franchise he could’ve ended up at, this is the one.
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Big Blue Nation should be keeping their eye out for Timmons this next season. He is the one who could potentially make immediate impact his rookie year. Good luck to Ryan and we wish him a long, productive career.