NFL fans have already seen enough of Zavion Thomas after the Chicago Bears rookie announced himself with a spectacular 97-yard touchdown in his pre-season debut.
Thomas caught five passes for 140 yards and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans, while also adding 22 yards on a kick return and 39 yards on a punt return.
The third-round pick did not feature in Chicago’s first two pre-season games after dealing with minor knee soreness, but he looked fully fit on Saturday night. His first professional catch came on the opening offensive snap and immediately showed why his speed had caught attention.
Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesZavion Thomas’ 97-yard touchdown has Bears fans dreamingThomas used a double move to get behind the defence before Tyson Bagent found him down the right sideline.
There was no catching the former LSU wide receiver once he found another gear, and the play quickly became one of the biggest talking points from Chicago’s 24-15 victory.
Fans were loving what they saw.
‘first snap and the rookie already took the whole field with him’, one supporter wrote.
Another simply posted: ‘REMEMBER THE NAME!’
There was similar excitement from another fan, who declared: ‘He is a good receiver!!’
Thomas’ speed was perhaps the biggest talking point, with one supporter admitting: ‘I don’t recall seeing that speed……dat boy was fast!!!’
Another fan summed up the moment more simply: ‘he put the burners on oh my god’.
‘That boy moving’, another added.
One supporter even suggested Chicago could have uncovered another major weapon, writing:
‘That chicago fifth receiver folks the league is in trouble🤣😂’.
Not everyone was impressed, though. One critic dismissed the excitement as ‘basic c***’, while another questioned why the NFL was ‘hyping this like it’s real football’.
Thomas was selected No. 89 overall by the Bears in this year’s NFL Draft after spending two seasons at LSU. He caught 41 passes for 488 yards and four touchdowns in 2025.
His 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine also underlined the speed that was on show against Tennessee.
Chicago already has plenty of young receiving talent, but Thomas has given the Bears another reason for optimism heading into the regular season.
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