Doug Kramer Jr.

For the Filipino basketball player, see Doug Kramer.

Doug Kramer Jr. (born June 4, 1998) is an American professional football center for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and was selected by the Bears in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft.^[1]

Doug Kramer

Kramer with the Chicago Bears in 2024
No. 68 – Chicago Bears
Position:	Center
Personal information
Born:	(1998-06-04) June 4, 1998 (age 27) Hinsdale, Illinois, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	300 lb (136 kg)
Career information
High school:	Hinsdale Central
College:	Illinois (2016–2021)
NFL draft:	2022: 6th round, 207th pick
Career history
Chicago Bears (2022–2023) Arizona Cardinals (2023) Chicago Bears (2023–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-Big Ten (2021)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Games played: 18 Stats at Pro Football Reference

College career

Kramer was ranked as a three–star recruit by 247Sports.com coming out of high school.^[2] He committed to Illinois on January 15, 2016, over offers from Ball State and Florida Atlantic.^[3]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	301 lb (137 kg)	32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m)	9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m)	4.95 s	1.70 s	2.84 s	4.62 s	7.82 s	29.5 in (0.75 m)	9 ft 1 in (2.77 m)	26 reps
All values from Pro Day[4][5]

Chicago Bears (first stint)

Kramer was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 207th pick in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft on April 30, 2022.^[6] He was placed on injured reserve on August 16, 2022.^[7]

On August 31, 2023, Kramer was placed on injured reserve.^[8] He was activated from injured reserve on October 21, 2023, and made his NFL debut in week seven.^[9] He was waived on November 4.^[10]

Arizona Cardinals

On November 6, 2023, Kramer was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Cardinals.^[11] He was released on November 15.^[12]

Chicago Bears (second stint)

Kramer (right) with Coleman Shelton in 2024

On November 17, 2023, Kramer was signed to the Bears practice squad.^[13] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 16, 2024.^[14]

Kramer began the 2024 season as a backup center.^[15] During the Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams, he played fullback on certain short yardage situations, one of which resulted in a one yard touchdown run by Roschon Johnson. The snaps were his first in the NFL that did not end in a quarterback kneel.^[16]

On October 27, 2024, with only a few minutes left in the Week 8 game against the Washington Commanders, Kramer took a handoff at the one yard line, which he fumbled. The Bears went on to lose, 18–15, on a Hail Mary pass play thrown by the Commanders' Jayden Daniels known as the Hail Maryland.^[17]

On March 18, 2025, the Bears re-signed Kramer to a one-year contract.^[18]