They say those who wait will be rewarded. Hopefully that holds true for former Texas Tech defensive tackle Jaylon Hutchings.

After going undrafted in this year’s NFL Draft, Hutchings is finally getting a chance to play at the next level. Houston reporter Aaron Wilson reported Sunday that the Forney, Texan native is signing with the Chicago Bears.

Hutchings suffered a torn meniscus at the end of the 2023 season, causing him to miss Texas Tech’s win over Cal in the Independence Bowl and will likely remain unsigned with an NFL team since he has been unable to work out for franchises.

Now he’s healthy again and participating in training camp with the Bears. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that training camp is almost halfway over. The Bears have already played two preseason games and only have two left, meaning Hutchings doesn’t have much time to make an impression on his new franchise.

Of course, the 300-pound nose tackle made a big impression on the people of West Texas during his career with the Red Raiders. In fact, he was one of the best defensive linemen the program has produced over the past two decades.

Hutchings appeared in 62 games and started 57 times. He made 192 tackles (108 solo), including 26.0 for loss and 11 sacks.

A three-time All-Big 12 honorable mention, Hutchings played over 2,700 snaps in the scarlet and black, partly due to the extra year of eligibility granted to players due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bears are looking for more depth on their defensive line. Veteran tackle and run stopper Andrew Billings is their most proven player in the middle. After that, there aren’t many guarantees for Chicago.

Hopefully Hutchings gets the chance to give the Bears what they need. One has to assume that if they were happy with the options they have in camp, they wouldn’t be bringing in new players to compete for jobs. So keep an eye on the news out of Chicago because Hutchings has a real chance to make a splash in the Windy City.