Bears sign OL Elijah Wilkinson to a 1-year deal

The Chicago Bears are looking to add competition to their right tackle competition by adding former Denver Broncos offensive lineman Elijiah Wilkinson, according to Denver 9News reporter Mike Klis, who calls a deal with Chicago “imminent.”

EDIT: The Bears have officially announced a 1-year deal for Wilkinson.

Wilkinson has started at both guard and tackle, mostly tackle, for the Broncos. He’s spent his entire career in Denver after being undrafted out of UMass in 2017.

He’s started 26 of the 45 games he’s appeared in, with all of those starts coming in the last three seasons.

According to Pro-Football-Reference he was penalized just once for holding last season (nine games, seven starts) but had six total penalties in 2019; four holding, two false starts and had two others declined or offset.

The Bears need tackle depth and competition after declining Bobby Massie’s contract option earlier this offseason. They may also look to add a starter or more competition through the draft next month but in the meantime, Wilkinson won’t be a bad piece.