The Chicago Bears are releasing Scotty Miller on August 30, 2026, a roster move that pushes the 29-year-old receiver toward a possible practice squad role instead of an active spot. Adam Schefter reported the move in an tweet.
That is the latest sign the Bears are trimming toward a younger wide receiver room after trading D.J. Moore to Buffalo and continuing to reshape the depth chart behind the top names. For Miller, the decision does not erase the fact that he has been around winning teams; it just says the Bears no longer see him as part of their immediate receiver group.
Courtney Cronin said the Bears are likely down to Kaden Davis and Maurice Alexander for the No. 6 wide receiver job. That is the job Miller would have needed to win to stay on the active roster, and it is why his release matters beyond one veteran leaving camp. If the Bears keep only one more receiver on the 53-man group, the final call appears to be between two younger options rather than the veteran who once looked like a safe bet to stick.
There is still a reason Miller remains in the conversation. He produced 502 receiving yards in the 2020 regular season, then delivered a crucial end-of-half touchdown on a lob from Tom Brady that helped the Bucs hold off the Packers and book a Super Bowl berth. He also overlapped with Antwaan Randle El in Tampa, which is part of the reason a veteran return to the Bears' practice squad has been floated.
But the recent track record is harder to ignore. Miller played 26 Steelers games from 2024 to 2025 and did not eclipse 70 receiving yards in either of those seasons. He was on the field in all Falcons contests during Arthur Smith's 2023 Atlanta finale, yet that usage never turned into the kind of production that would force the Bears to keep him on the active roster. Even the outside chatter has treated the move as a possible roster shuffle, with ProFootballRumors.com posting, “That’s your que Steelers. Bring him back and cut Roman.”
So the immediate answer is simple: Miller is out, and the Bears are choosing upside and age on the depth chart over a veteran stopgap. The unresolved part is whether Chicago brings him back on the practice squad, but the wider picture is already clear enough for now. The Bears are moving on, and the last receiver spots are being decided by who can still grow rather than who once had a run.
