The Chicago Bears kicked off the preseason with a dominant 34-10 win over the Cleveland Browns, where they overcame a 10-0 deficit before scoring 34 unanswered points to secure the victory.
With Chicago's first preseason game in the books, there were some notable standout performances as players contend for depth positioning and roster spots ahead of the Aug. 30 cutdown. There are a number of roster bubble players who certainly made a strong case for a roster spot, including defensive end Jamree Kromah, wide receiver Kaden Davis and running back Salvon Ahmed. But will it be enough to edge out some already established veterans?
Following the first preseason game, here's our latest 53-man roster projection for the Bears, which features some difficult
cuts.
Quarterback (3): Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum
No surprises here. The Bears carried three quarterbacks last season, so there's no reason to assume that won't be the same in 2026. Case Keenum has served as another coach for Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent in that room. Williams is looking to build on his breakout sophomore campaign in Year 2 with Ben Johnson, and it doesn't hurt having a couple of solid backups in that room.
Running back (3): D'Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai, Salvon Ahmed
There's no question that D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai are locks for the roster to run back Chicago's third-ranked rushing attack from last season. But the question is whether the Bears will carry three or four running backs. Assuming it's three, like last year's initial roster, it's a battle between Roschon Johnson and Salvon Ahmed, who both saw a bulk of reps in the preseason opener. Johnson didn't do much to impress, but Ahmed made some plays in the passing game. For now, he gets the final spot.
Wide receiver (6): Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond, Jahdae Walker, Zavion Thomas, Kaden Davis
The wide receiver group is essentially set with Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond, Jahdae Walker and Zavion Thomas. That leaves one spot potentially open for a slew of players. One name that continues to stand out is Kaden Davis, who's been a training camp standout and continued to make plays in the preseason opener. While Ray-Ray McCloud, Maurice Alexander and Scotty Miller also made nice plays, Davis gets my final spot in this receiver room.
Tight end (3): Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet, Sam Roush
The Bears tight end group has been set for a while with Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet and rookie Sam Roush, who make up one of the best TE rooms in the NFL. Loveland is coming off an impressive rookie season and is primed for a breakout year as one of the league's best tight ends. Meanwhile, Kmet continues to be an invaluable part of this offense while Roush is expected to serve a key role in his rookie season.
Offensive line (10): Joe Thuney, Darnell Wright, Garrett Bradbury, Jonah Jackson, Ozzy Trapilo, Braxton Jones, Logan Jones, Theo Benedet, Jordan McFadden, Luke Newman
Four of five starting spots on Chicago's offensive line is already locked down with left tackle the only position left to finalize between Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills Jr. and Kiran Amegadjie. But after Ozzy Trapilo was activated from the physically unable to perform list, he'll factor into that mix, as well. With Trapilo back in the fold, Wills and Amegadjie are the odd men out on the roster. Meanwhile, the Bears load up with some talented reserves to round out the room, with Benedet bringing versatility as a swing tackle.
Defensive line (9): Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter, Dayo Odeyingbo, Neville Gallimore, Jordan van den Berg, Daniel Hardy, Jamree Kromah
The Bears are expecting big things from their defensive line after being near the bottom of the league in sacks and run defense last season. There aren't many surprises with this group with Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter, Dayo Odeyingbo and Neville Gallimore. Sixth-round rookie Jordan van den Berg has made a strong impression and could factor into the interior rotational. Daniel Hardy's special teams contributions makes him a shoo-in. Meanwhile, Shemar Turner remains on the PUP list with no timetable for return in sight. With that in mind, Turner starts the year on the PUP while preseason standout Jamree Kromah nabs the final roster spot.
Linebacker (6): T.J. Edwards, Devin Bush, D'Marco Jackson, Jack Sanborn, Noah Sewell, Keyshaun Elliott
The Bears have their starting linebacker duo set with T.J. Edwards and Devin Bush with D'Marco Jackson and Jack Sanborn serving as key depth pieces. Noah Sewell and Keyshaun Elliott are currently on the physically unable to perform list, so we'll have to monitor them and make adjustments accordingly. Last year's fourth-round pick Ruben Hyppolite had a strong preseason showing, but he did exit the game with a shoulder injury. If Sewell and/or Elliott start the year on the PUP list, it could give Hyppolite another chance on the roster.
Cornerback (6): Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson, Malik Muhammad, Josh Blackwell, Jaylon Jones
No surprise with Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson, the projected starters on the outside. Kyler Gordon remains on the physically unable to perform list, but there's no word on when he'll return. While Gordon's lack of availability has been frustrating, there's no denying he's the best option at nickel. Rookie Malik Muhammad has been getting looks at nickel and outside, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get reps as a rookie. If Gordon is able to return before training camp's end, Terell Smith is unfortunately the odd man out just one year removed from a devastating knee injury, given Josh Blackwell and Jaylon Jones' value as specialists and versatility in the secondary.
Safety (4): Dillon Thieneman, Xavier Woods, Cam Lewis, Elijah Hicks
The Bears will be without top safety Coby Bryant for most of the 2026 season after he had surgery on his knee and will miss four to six months. That leaves rookie Dillon Thieneman and new veteran addition Xavier Woods as the team's projected starting safeties. Cam Lewis makes the cut at safety, although he was getting work at nickel cornerback before Bryant's injury, so he brings versatility. Assuming Elijah Hicks returns from the PUP list, he gets the final roster spot, although Beanie Bishop and undrafted rookie Skyler Thomas made strong cases for the roster.
Special teams (3): Cairo Santos, Tory Taylor, Beau Gardner
There are no surprises here on special teams with kicker Cairo Santos, punter Tory Taylor and long snapper Beau Gardner. Santos and Taylor haven't faced any competition while Gardner beat out Luke Elkin for the starting long snapper job, after Elkin was waived last week.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears 53-man roster projection after first preseason game
