The lead-up to Training Camp and the preseason seems to drag on forever from May through late July. Once teams finally report, strap the pads on, and get the preseason going, the process flies by. This year was no different for the Chicago Bears. In a matter of 12 days, the Bears played all three preseason games. Now, this first-year coaching staff will have their work cut off for them as they whittle down their 91-man roster to 53 players and a 16-man practice squad.
Before roster decisions are officially
made, we’ll dive into each position to see what’s changed since our last projection and predict what to expect in the coming days. Brace yourselves, Bears fans. Regular season football is upon us, but first, we must find out who will be on the Week 1 roster.
Quarterback (3): Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, and Case Keenum
In an ideal world, who wins the backup job wouldn’t matter because Williams would start and play in all 17 regular games. Bears fans know how unrealistic that has been, though. Williams was the first quarterback to start every regular season game since the mid-90s. Either way, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they don’t carry three quarterbacks into the season. After all, they guaranteed Keenum over $2 million this offseason.
Practice Squad: Austin Reed
Running Back (4): D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, Travis Homer
Despite the national perception of this group, head coach Ben Johnson and his staff appear more comfortable rolling into the season with some unknowns. Johnson and Swift have a history going back to their time in Detroit, but the bigger question will be who slots in behind the veteran speedster. Monangia has impressed during camp, but Johnson provides some semblance of NFL experience. Health and availability remain Johnson’s biggest downfall. With Homer’s value coming in the special teams department, it might take a few weeks for this group to sort itself out behind Swift. Don’t be surprised to see the Bears make a move before Week 1.
Practice Squad: Ian Wheeler
Tight End (3): Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, and Durham Smythe
It seems like keeping the top three names on the depth chart is the only logical conclusion after an offseason full of Joel Wilson hype. The team should have minimal issues sliding Wilson onto the practice squad, especially after a lackluster preseason. Fans should expect a pretty even split when it comes to snaps in the early going with Kmet and Loveland, but make no mistake: Loveland is the future of this team when it comes to catching passes from the tight end position. That doesn’t mean that Kmet won’t have a role, but there are a few players in this league that have the height/speed combo that the No. 10 overall pick brings. Smythe should see his fair share of snaps, too.
Practice Squad: Joel Wilson
Wide Receiver (5): DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luther Burden III, and Devin Duvernay
Have the Bears ever had a deeper depth chart at receiver than they do now? Moore and Odunze are the unquestioned top two targets, but don’t sleep on Zaccheaus’ reliability in the slot as a go-to option for Williams on third downs. Burden’s hamstring injury slowed his progress in the first few months of his NFL career, but it seems like he’s hitting his stride with multiple impressive preseason performances. Although he might not have a defined role at the start of the season, fans shouldn’t be surprised if he’s more heavily involved in the second half of the schedule. Finally, Duvernay feels like a good bet for WR5, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone to see them keep another receiver if they feel compelled. Alexander and Walker feel like the best candidates for that final spot at WR6, with Tyler Scott’s time in Chicago coming to an end heading into Year 3.
Practice Squad: Maurice Alexander, Jahdae Walker, and J.P. Richardson
Offensive Line (10): Braxton Jones, Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Darnell Wright, Ryan Bates, Kiran Amegadjie, Ozzy Trapilo, Lance Newman, and Theo Benedet
How the final offensive line shakes out will have a lot to do with health. Even with the left tackle spot solved (for now), there are still plenty of questions surrounding depth. Benedet was a late entry into the left tackle competition, but did more than enough to impress this new coaching staff. He has some ability to slide inside, as does Amegadjie. Newman showed out well during the preseason and looks like the perfect late-round developmental piece for this unit. Coupled with Bill Murray’s availability once again in question, there’s reason to believe Newman will edge out Murray for that final spot. Given the uncertainty, it seems plausible to keep 10 on the initial roster.
Practice Squad: Bill Murray, Jordan Murray, and Doug Kramer
Defensive End (5): Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker, Tanoh Kpassagnon, and Dominique Robinson
Call me crazy, but of all the Bears’ remaining needs, this still ranks as the highest. Sweat and Odeyingbo are a fine starting duo, but if one of them goes down, this group might be in a world of hurt. Booker was once again impressive during the preseason, but can that translate when games actually matter? Kpassagnon is what he is at this point. He brings familiarity for Allen, but his ceiling as a pass rusher is severely limited. Robinson’s final shot to make an impact in a Bears uniform is now, but if there’s an opportunity to add proven depth, why not do it? I worry about how this group will consistently get after the quarterback, even with an improved interior helping them dent the pocket. Coupled with Booker reportedly going to miss a few weeks (maybe a short IR stint ahead?), this feels like a spot that the Bears could and should add a more reputable name for depth.
Practice Squad: Daniel Hardy
Defensive Tackle (5): Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., Andrew Billings, Chris Williams, Shemar Turner
A few weeks into the offseason, it became clear that the Bears were putting an emphasis on improving the interior of their defensive line. They spent one of their big free agent resources on Jarrett, who will start alongside Dexter. The fun didn’t stop there, though. They proceeded to use their final second-round selection on Turner, who has yet to see much time in camp due to a leg injury. In addition to those two big moves, they gave Williams an original round tender, which cost $3.263 million against the cap. Barring a surprise, it feels like they’ll keep five, and unless they are looking to offload Williams for some cap relief, this appears to be the group. This would also leave 2023 third-round pick Zacch Pickens without a job.
Practice Squad: Jonathan Ford
Linebacker (5): Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Noah Sewell, Amen Ogbongbemiga, and Ruben Hyppolite
There’s a lot of unknown at the linebacker position beyond 2025, but it appears that the team has its three starters for the upcoming season. Edmunds enters the year needing a career performance to stick around next season due to his cap hit. Edwards was extended and will be here for the foreseeable future. Sewell is in his third year and finally appears ready to make an impact, even if he sees limited snaps as the “starting” SAM. Despite the optimism surrounding Hyppolite post-draft, it’s clear that his speed isn’t going to overcome his lack of polish. Finally, Ogbongbemiga appears entrenched as the team’s primary special teams ace, with an ability to spot start when needed. It would be surprising to see them carry more than five on the final roster.
Practice Squad: Carl Jones Jr.
Cornerback (6): Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Nahshon Wright, Josh Blackwell, and Nick McCloud
Injuries have plagued this group throughout the summer and preseason, but it appears that they are getting healthy at the right time. Johnson is one of the better corners in the league and should see an uptick in production playing in Allen’s man-scheme. Stevenson and Wright battled it out for CB2, but in the end, Stevenson won the job, likely with a short leash. Gordon is fresh off an extension, and Bears fans should expect to see him playing all over the field. Blackwell was also re-signed this offseason and could see extended snaps in dime packages. The final spot on the roster will be an interesting one. Assuming Zah Frazier gets a redshirt year after missing all of training camp and the preseason, CB6 should come down between Nick McCloud and Tre Flowers, with the loser heading to the practice squad. Terell Smith was firmly in the mix for this spot before his season-ending knee injury. I’ve got McCloud written down in pencil, but Flowers’ physical profile could give him the edge.
Practice Squad: Tre Flowers and an outside addition
Safety (4): Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Jonathan Owens, and Elijah Hicks
With the early release of Tarvarius Moore back in late July, this has felt like the group the Bears were destined to roll with heading into the season. Byard and Brisker will be the starters, but expect to see Owens and/or Hicks mixed into the rotation at times. Brisker looks primed for a big season if he can just stay healthy. With neither of their undrafted free agents standing out in the preseason, this should be an easy decision.
Practice Squad: Tysheem Johnson and Millard Bradford
Special Teams (3): K Cairo Santos, P Tory Taylor, and LS Scott Daly
Heading into camp. It was fair to wonder if Jonathan Kim could push Santos. Instead, Santos came out and drained a 57-yard field goal in the first preseason game, which would have been good from 65. His reliability has never been questioned, but adding some extra distance to his kicks only helps his cause. Daly hurt himself early in camp, but barring anything lingering or long-term, this group appears set.
