The Chicago Bears have trimmed their roster 53 players heading into the 2026 regular season, which came just hours after their preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans.
The Bears had a lot of difficult decisions to make when they trimmed their roster down to 53 players. There were some key position battles that were finally resolved, including at the starting left tackle position, who Chicago’s wide receivers were going to be and there was plenty of room to make additional moves after the first round of cuts and waiver wire pick ups.
None of the roster cuts would be categorized as egregious or a mistake, but there were still numerous cuts that were a little surprising. Here are eight of the toughest roster cuts the Bears made for their initial
53-man roster.
OL Kiran Amegadjie
Braxton Jones, Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills were all competing to be Chicago’s starting left tackle until Ozzy Trapilo is 100 percent healthy and can come back. It was not surprising that Wills was cut as he was falling behind in the battle for the starting job. It is also not necessarily surprising that Jones won the starting job over Amegadjie. However, it was surprising that Chicago elected to release him. Perhaps they will be able to bring him back on the practice squad, but Amegadjie has experience at multiple positions along the line, so he would be a valuable person to keep around.
WR Maurice Alexander
Chicago could only keep so many wide receivers on the roster. But after Maurice Alexander's performance in the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans, with seven receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown on a fourth and goal, it seemed he had proven he should be on the initial roster. Unfortunately, it was not enough as Chicago elected to only keep five wide receivers instead of six, which is probably why Alexander did not make the roster.
CB Terell Smith
Terell Smith was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he'd been a key reserve for 2023 and 2024. But, a season-ending injury in 2025 wiped out his entire season, and it appears between the Bears’ depth at cornerback including newly-acquired Clark Phillips from the Atlanta Falcons and his injury history, there just was not enough room on the roster. However, Smith could be a candidate for the practice squad if he clears the waiver wire.
LB Jack Sanborn
There was once a time when Jack Sanborn was a starting linebacker for the Bears. The Lake Zurich native spent 2022 through 2024 with the Bears, playing in 48 games and starting 19 of those Last season, this same coaching staff released Sanborn and he was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys. However, after the Cowboys released him, Chicago gave him another shot. The first three linebackers on the 53-man roster were essentially a lock, so Sanborn was competing for that fourth linebacker role. Ultimately, Keyshaun Elliott won the job over Sanborn. The Bears only have four linebackers on the roster, so they could elect to bring him back after making additional moves.
DL James Lynch
Among the players on the defensive line, James Lynch may have had one of the best performances later in training camp and the preseason. In Chicago’s final preseason game against the Titans, Lynch was a constant problem for Tennessee’s defense. Only so many defensive linemen can make the active roster, but Lynch seemed like someone who could definitely make the active roster. Since he has accrued the required numbers of seasons, he is not on the waiver wire and instead is immediately a free agent that any other team in the NFL can pick up.
DL Marcus Davenport
The confusion to me is if Marcus Davenport did not really have a chance at making the roster, why did the Bears sign him just two weeks before cutting him? Maybe it was to create a sense of competition among the defensive linemen given Davenport’s familiarity with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Maybe they thought it would be good to have another veteran on the line to mentor the rookies. Whatever the case, Davenport did not do enough to make the roster and guys like Jamree Kromah and Jayden Loving got roster spots.
WR Kaden Davis
A lot of the players in Chicago’s wide receiver room had a good training camp including Kaden Davis. Alexander, Davis and Scotty Miller were supposedly competing for the No. 6 receiver spot on the team, but ultimately the Bears only kept five. That is the more surprising move because each of these receivers put up a good fight and made a case for why they should make the roster. Davis was praised by teammates, including quarterback Tyson Bagent, for his performance. He is another candidate for the practice squad if he clears the wire.
WR Scotty Miller
Like Alexander and Davis, Scotty Miller had a good training camp. The veteran receiver, who once played in the Super Bowl with quarterback Tom Brady during his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers early in his career, had numerous flashes throughout camp and the preseason. His best preseason game was the opener against the Cleveland Browns, when he had three receptions for 37 yards; his longest reception was 18 yards. Miller is a free agent who is now free to sign with any NFL team, so he may not be someone the Bears can get back.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 8 toughest cuts from Chicago Bears' initial 53-man roster
