Ottawa has a new reason to root for the Chicago Bears — one of the city's own is suiting up for the Windy City.
Neville Gallimore, a 29-year-old defensive tackle born and raised right here in Ottawa, has signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Bears during NFL free agency. The deal is reportedly worth up to $12 million — a significant payday for one of the most recognizable names to come out of Ottawa's football scene.
From Ottawa to the NFL
Gallimore's journey to the top of professional football is the kind of story that makes you proud to be from this city. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft after an impressive college career at the University of Oklahoma, making him one of the rare Ottawa-area athletes to crack one of the world's most competitive sports leagues.
Now entering his prime years, Gallimore is one of just four Ottawa-born players currently on an NFL roster — a small but impressive club that Ottawa sports fans should know by name.
A Bears Team Hungry for a Championship
The Chicago Bears are in full win-now mode. With young quarterback Caleb Williams developing into a bonafide franchise cornerstone, the Bears have been aggressive in free agency, adding pieces up and down the roster to compete in a tough NFC. Gallimore's presence on the defensive line gives the Bears a proven veteran who can disrupt opposing backfields and anchor a defence capable of making a deep playoff run.
For a city like Chicago, a Super Bowl run would be massive. For Ottawa? Getting to cheer on a hometown kid in the biggest moments of the NFL calendar is its own reward.
Ottawa's NFL Community
Ottawa isn't typically the first city that comes to mind when you think about NFL talent pipelines, but the capital has quietly produced some quality pro football players over the years. Gallimore's rise is a testament to the talent that exists in this city — and to the pathways available through the CFL pipeline, university programs, and elite scouting that give Canadian athletes a shot at the big leagues.
Local football fans who've followed Gallimore's career since his Cowboys days now have a fresh reason to tune in every Sunday. Whether you're watching at home or catching the game at a sports bar in the ByWard Market or Westboro, Bears games just got a whole lot more interesting for Ottawa fans.
Worth Watching in 2026
With Gallimore signed and the Bears building toward a legitimate Super Bowl contender, this is a player and a team worth following closely. If Chicago makes a deep run into the playoffs, Ottawa will have a reason to celebrate that goes beyond just the game itself — it'll be one of our own under the bright lights.
Keep an eye on number 98. Ottawa is watching.
Source: Ottawa Life Magazine
