LAKE FOREST, Ill. — As the Bears prepare for their first game of the preseason this Saturday, they continue to shuffle players on and off the roster to find the best group to start the season.
On Tuesday, one of those moves has brought a Chicago-area native back to his hometown.
Linebacker Barrington Wade, a Skokie native, was signed by the team ahead of the start of practice on Tuesday ahead of the preseason opener against the Titans Saturday at Soldier Field.
He was a standout at Niles North High School where he was a first team All-State selection his senior year along with a honorable mention All-American. He then played in 33 games at Iowa from 2017-2020 mostly as a reserve making 23 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
After college, he was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent but was cut in August 2021. Wade signed with the Broncos and would remain with the team the rest of the season, mostly with the practice squad.
He was moved up to the active roster at times and participated in four games, getting an assist on a tackle against the Cowboys in Week 8 of that season. Wade would remain in Denver through the next training camp but was waived before the start of the season.
In May, the linebacker signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League but was only with the team for a month.
Along with Wade, the Bears also signed tight end Lachlan Pitts, an undrafted free agent out of William and Mary. Tight end Jake Tonges along with kicker Andre Szmyt were let go.
