The final domino of the 2026 offseason is about to fall this weekend for the Chicago Bears
and the other 31 NFL teams. Following the preseason finale on Saturday, where the Bears defeated the Tennessee Titans 24-15, general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Ben Johnson, and other members of the front office will make their final decisions as to who will remain on the initial 53-man roster and who will be cut by 5 p.m. CT Sunday.The vast majority of the roster is set, and many of the players cut won't be too surprising considering their status on the team. But this is a time of year where anything can happen. Surprise cuts, big trades, numerous waiver claims. We've seen it all over the years with the Bears. There was already one trade that sent
Gervon Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons, so we're off to a hot start.
What else will 2026 bring? Here are four predictions heading into the roster cutdown deadline.
1. The Bears keep 4 running backs
Looking around at other Bears roster projections going into Sunday, many people believe the team will only carry three running backs again, like they did last year. It makes sense, especially considering how much the Bears rely specifically on D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. But I believe they carry an extra back to start.
Roschon Johnson has been solid on special teams, while Salvon Ahmed proved he's still an explosive option who can benefit the Bears. Plus, Monangai is still working his way back from a knee injury suffered two weeks ago. Having an extra set of legs at the position to start isn't a bad thing, and it gives the offense more flexibility while ensuring special teams is covered.
2. Ozzy Trapilo goes on injured reserve to start the year
It's still hard to grasp that Ozzy Trapilo is back practicing with the Bears on a consistent basis after suffering a torn patellar tendon in January, but it's been arguably the best training camp development across the team. The question is, when will he be ready for a game?
There's no doubt the Bears want to be smart with Trapilo's recovery, which leads me to believe he will be put on injured reserve to start the year, whether that is through the two designated spots teams can use on roster cutdown day or one of the eight designations. I believe Trapilo will miss at least the first four games and hopefully will be ready to go shortly after that.
3. Ruben Hyppolite gets cut
The linebacker position is difficult to sort out, which doesn't make me envy Poles and the front office who have to make these difficult decisions. And the last two spots come down to three players with different skill sets: Jack Sanbron, Keyshaun Elliott, and Ruben Hyppolite. While Hyppolite, last year's fourth-round pick, has excellent athleticism, he hasn't shown much in the limited opportunities he's had.
Throughout training camp, Hyppolite has missed time due to injuries and has been behind Sanborn in the pecking order. And while Keyshaun Elliott has also been absent for nearly all of training camp, it's hard to see the Bears waiving their fifth-round rookie and hoping he makes it back on the practice squad. Hyppolite has had more time to show something, and he simply hasn't.
4. Ryan Poles makes at least 2 waiver claims
The Bears have question marks at a few positions, namely tackle and cornerback, heading into the roster cutdown deadline. With injuries impacting both depth and starters with those groups, I believe Poles will be putting in a few waiver claims to try and shore things up heading into Week 1.
We know neither Kiran Amegadjie nor Jedrick Wills is an answer at tackle, while the uncertainty of Kyler Gordon and lingering injuries at cornerback put a lot of pressure on the current starters at cornerback. There should be more than a few intriguing names that become available Sunday evening, and Poles will turn over every rock to find quality players.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 4 predictions ahead of Bears roster cutdown deadline
