After spending the 2025 NFL season on the sidelines after being waived by the Los Angeles Rams last August, linebacker Tony Fields II was presented with an opportunity to prove he deserved to be back in the league – a contract with the UFL's Columbus Gladiators.
And once Fields stepped onto the field in the UFL, it was clear that he still has what it takes to be an elite defensive threat on the gridiron. He would finish the season tied for second in the league with 77 total tackles, and was named to the 2026 All-UFL Team for his efforts. And once this season came to a close, Fields was able to parlay that performance into another opportunity at the biggest stage in pro football.
Tony Fields makes his return to the NFL with Chicago Bears
Fields was signed to a contract by the Chicago Bears after the UFL season ended, and now, he will look to be another one of several players who have used to spring league as a launching point to earn their shot at a final 53-man NFL roster. And of the multiple players from the UFL that signed contracts this offseason, it's likely Fields has the best shot of any of them at seeing playing time this year.
Tony Fields II lands in the Windy City!
— United Football League (@TheUFL) June 16, 2026
After an All-UFL season, the linebacker has signed with the Chicago Bears 🐻#UFLtoNFL pic.twitter.com/deRKumfTqG
It helps that Fields has prior NFL experience, racking up 88 tackles and one interception over 45 appearances during a four-year stint with the Cleveland Browns from 2021-2024. He's proven he can play at the caliber needed to see significant action in the league, but fell through the cracks in Cleveland following an injury and has struggled to get back onto the field in the NFL since.
He also enter a situation where legitimate competition in the linebacker room is needed – T.J. Edwards saw his season come to an end due to injury last year, and D'Marco Jackson suffered an injury during OTAs. It's a bit of a unstable room for the Bears right now, which should give Fields an ample opportunity to get back into the mix.
Fields, who played for the Mountaineers during the 2020 season after transferring from Arizona, will now look to re-add one player to the list of former West Virginia stars on NFL rosters this coming season.
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