Chicago Bears cut ties with former Illinois football defensive lineman

This weekend was a bit brutal for some NFL hopefuls who came out of the Illinois football program.

Even though some of the Illini didn’t get picked in the 2024 NFL Draft, they still were able to sign on with NFL franchises in hopes of impressing the coaching staff.

John Paddock was one of the roster cutdown casualties this weekend. He was on the Atlanta Falcons roster, but with so much talent at the quarterback position, they had to move on from him.

Sadly, Paddock wasn’t alone in the unemployment line this weekend. Former Illinois football defensive lineman Keith Randolph Jr. also faced the same fate. He was waived by the Chicago Bears on Saturday.

Chicago has some nice depth on the defensive line. The starting front four of Montez Sweat, Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter Sr., and DeMarcus Walker can do some damage. The Bears also have an emerging defensive end in Austin Booker.

Keith Randolph Jr. isn’t with the Chicago Bears anymore, but his career with the Illinois football team will never be forgotten

It is always rough seeing a former Illini player getting waived. I want as many of the players to succeed as possible. It betters the player's life, and it also looks good for the program.

While Randolph got waived by the Bears, there is always a chance he latches on to another franchise. But even if he goes to the regular work world, let’s not forget this kid’s impact on the Illini.

Randolph was a part of a great defensive line in Champaign. He had 10 sacks in his final three seasons with the program, and he also had 144 tackles during that time.

This isn’t the end of the road for Randolph, but I was hoping he would stick around a little longer with my favorite NFL team. Regardless, the future is bright for this former Illinois football defensive line stalwart.