Former Oakland Raiders No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell had what was considered a solid showing during his tryout for the Chicago Bears on Friday at Halas Hall, a league source told who attended the session told ESPN. However it's unlikely the team will sign him to a contract, the source reported.
Russell arrived at the workout in the 265-pound range, the source confirmed.
The quarterback displayed a "big arm" and a "good, positive demeanor," but also showed some rust with the timing and accuracy of throws, having not played football full-time since 2009. Still, the source noted that Russell has worked hard enough in recent months to get back to his playing weight from when the Raiders drafted him, a major concern that scared NFL teams.
Russell was one of three quarterbacks who attended the workout session, which also included Jordan Palmer and Trent Edwards.
The Bears weren't initially interested in Russell, and one source believed nobody in the NFL would take the former LSU standout's comeback seriously until he lost weight. But with Russell having lost 50 pounds in recent months, Chicago decided to give him an opportunity to try out.
The source noted that Russell gave a solid performance overall, considering his absence from football and working with a group of receivers with whom he was unfamiliar.
Still, the odds of Russell receiving a contract from Chicago are slim. With Jay Cutler, Josh McCown and Matt Blanchard now on the roster, the Bears had considered bringing a fourth quarterback to training camp, but as recently as Tuesday, they wanted to keep the depth chart at three.
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