The Chicago Bears have finalized their initial 53-man roster heading into the 2026 regular season, where there were some notable decisions by general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson.
As the Bears assembled their roster, there were some difficult decisions that had to be made, as well as strategic ones given certain injury designations and how Johnson, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and special teams coordinator Richard Hightower want their units to operate. But it's also worth noting that changes will be made between now and when waiver claims are announced Monday afternoon.
With the Bears' initial 53-man roster revealed, here are our quick takeaways for a roster that will undergo changes shortly after time of publication.
Under-the-radar players made the initial cut
There
are a number of roster bubble players, including several undrafted rookies, who had standout training camps and preseasons and were rewarded with a roster spot. Undrafted rookies defensive tackle Jayden Loving, tight end Hayden Large and safety Skyler Thomas, as well defensive end Jamree Kromah and defensive tackle Kentavius Street all made the initial cut. It goes to show the importance of putting together a good summer and the coaches taking notice. But whether they all remain on the ever-changing 53-man roster remains to be seen.
Bears need to add a linebacker
Chicago is carrying just four linebackers on the initial 53-man roster, and it's a position they're going to need to address in the next day. The Bears parted ways with Jack Sanborn, Jon Rhattigan, Wayne Matthews III and Antonio Grier while also waiving former fourth-round pick Ruben Hyppolite II with an injury designation. There are some additional moves expected to shift some players to injured reserve, which would free up a spot for another linebacker.
Bears have just 5 wide receivers
All summer, there was discussion about the competition for the sixth wide receiver spot. After all, Chicago was set with Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Kalif Raymond, Zavion Thomas and Jahdae Walker, who were essentially locks. In the preseason, it looked to develop into a battle between summer standouts Kaden Davis and Maurice Alexander, although, in the end, it didn't matter. The Bears elected to keep five receivers on their initial 53-man roster, an indication that they're happy with the weapons in the room, as well as their loaded tight end group.
Bears carried 4 tight ends
Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet and rookie Sam Roush have been locks for the roster since before training camp, and the assumption was Chicago was going to carry just three tight ends. But knowing Ben Johnson and his penchant for multiple tight end sets, it's not really a surprise that they carried four. Undrafted rookie Hayden Large made an impression on Johnson early on, and the Bears clearly think highly of him to ensure another team doesn't get a chance to nab him. It's worth noting that Large is currently injured, so it's possible that Chicago will place him on injured reserve (where he'd miss at least four games) to free up another spot elsewhere.
Bears moved on from recent draft picks
General manager Ryan Poles has had his share of hits and misses during his four-year tenure with the Bears, and that includes some big draft misses. Two of the biggest were among Chicago's roster cuts with third-round tackle Kiran Amegadjie and fourth-round linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II. Amegadjie got a second shot at the starting left tackle job but failed to live up to his Day 2 billing while Hyppolite was waived with an injury designation after he failed to carve out a role for himself. Earlier in the day, the Bears traded former second-round defensive tackle Gervon Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons and cornerback Terell Smith, selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, was one of the biggest surprise cuts.
Key players start on PUP
The Bears had just three players on the physically unable to perform list at the conclusion of training camp, and that's where cornerback Kyler Gordon, linebacker Noah Sewell and defensive tackle Shemar Turner will start the season on the reserve/PUP list. While the Bears elected to carry safety Coby Bryant, tight end Hayden Large and even left tackle Ozzy Trapilo on the initial 53-man roster, given their injuries and respected recoveries, at least Bryant and Large are expected to land on injured reserve tomorrow and it wouldn't be a surprise if Trapilo landed there, too.
More moves are coming
There's a reason this is the initial 53-man roster; changes are expected and changes will happen over the course of the next 24 hours. It starts with injury designations, where the expectation is safety Coby Bryant and tight end Hayden Large, and potentially left tackle Ozzy Trapilo, will be placed on injured reserve with a designation to return this season. Chicago could also look to address some key spots on the roster, including running back (where Roschon Johnson currently occupies there RB3 spot) and cornerback (where they have five after waiving Jaylon Jones with an injury designation), as well as the aforementioned linebacker position (where they currently only have four on the roster).
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 7 takeaways from the Chicago Bears' initial 53-man roster
