Just one preseason game remains on the schedule before the Chicago Bears will have to get their 53-man roster in order. Chicago’s first two exhibition contests have given the club’s decision-makers food for thought as they assess how to shape their depth chart for the upcoming season, but some positions on the Bears’ roster may still feature more questions than answers.
Here’s how the Bears’ 53-man roster might look after the NFL‘s cutdown deadline on Aug. 29.
Chicago Bears 53-Man Roster Projection
Quarterback
- In: Justin Fields, P.J. Walker
- Out: Tyson Bagent, Nathan Peterman
This is a critical week for Walker, whom the Bears gave $2 million guaranteed this offseason to serve as Fields’ backup. But Walker, who started five games for the Panthers last year, has struggled during training camp and played poorly against the Colts on Saturday, competing just one of four passes while taking multiple sacks.
Walker’s performance has left the door open for Bagent, who went undrafted this year after playing college football at Division II Shepherd University, to steal Chicago’s QB2 job.
Bagent, who holds the NCAA record for career touchdown passes, was 9 of 10 for 76 yards against Indianapolis. He led the Bears on a 17-play, 92-yard touchdown drive that ended when he scampered into the end zone for a two-yard score.
Despite Bagent’s success, Chicago could still probably sneak him onto the practice squad if needed. We’re leaving Walker as Fields’ backup for now, but that could change depending on how the Bears’ preseason finale goes.
Running Back
- In: Khalil Herbert, D’Onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, Khari Blasingame (FB)
- Out: Robert Burns (FB), Trestan Ebner
The Bears’ backfield is wide open following the offseason departure of free agent David Montgomery. Herbert, the only holdover RB on the roster, should get the first chance at replacing Montgomery’s production, but Foreman could play his way into a committee.
However, neither Herbert nor Foreman is much of a receiver, which could create an opening for Johnson or Homer to contribute in the passing game. Ebner suffered an injury in Chicago’s first preseason game and is on the outside looking in for now.
Wide Receiver
- In:Â DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Tyler Scott, Equamineous St. Brown, Velus Jones Jr.
- Out: Isaiah Ford, Daurice Fountain, Dante Pettis, Joe Reed, Nsimba Webster
Mooney appears to have passed Claypool on Chicago’s depth chart and should be the clear WR2 in “12” personnel. But given that the Bears deployed three-WR sets on 60% of their plays in 2022, Claypool should have plenty of opportunities, even if he’s third on Chicago’s depth chart.
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Chicago doesn’t have a ton of drama beyond Claypool. Jones could become a surprise cut after he failed to deliver results during his rookie season, but the Bears’ only realistic option to replace him is Pettis, a journeyman who hasn’t reached 20 receptions since 2018 and was only recently activated off the non-football injury list.
While Jones needs to improve, Chicago is unlikely to give up on a third-round pick after only one year.
Tight End
- In: Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis
- Out: Stephen Carlson, Lachlan Pitts
Kmet recently inked a four-year extension which will tie him to the Bears through the 2027 campaign.
Meanwhile, Chicago has a pair of former Packers tight ends up next on their depth chart. Tonyan should be a viable receiving threat behind Kmet, while Lewis remains one of the NFL’s best blocking tight ends as he enters his age-39 campaign.
Carlson might have made the Bears as a special teams contributor and third tight end if Chicago hadn’t signed Lewis. He could still make his way to the practice squad, where he’d be eligible for game-day promotion or be around in case of an injury.
Offensive Line
- In: Braxton Jones, Cody Whitehair, Lucas Patrick, Nate Davis, Darnell Wright, Larry Borom, Ja’Tyre Carter, Alex Leatherwood, Doug Kramer
- Injured Reserve: Teven Jenkins
- Out: Aviante Collins, Kellen Diesch, Dieter Eiselen, Robert Haskins, Gabriel Houy, Josh Lugg, Logan Stenberg
Chicago’s Week 1 offensive line combination may have changed this week when Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported that Jenkins is “expected to miss time in the first month (of the season) with a leg injury.”
While it’s unclear exactly how long Jenkins will be out, head coach Matt Eberflus described his injury as “week to week” on Tuesday. With the season fewer than three weeks away, we’re tentatively projecting Jenkins to land on IR and miss at least the first four weeks of the year. He’ll have to be carried on the Bears’ initial 53-man roster to be eligible to return later this season.
With Jenkins out of practice, Chicago offered a glimpse of a new OL configuration that featured Whitehair moving from center to left guard and Patrick coming in to play the pivot. If Jenkins has to go on IR, Kramer could earn a spot on the roster as a versatile interior reserve.
Defensive Tackle
- In: Justin Jones, Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter, Zacch Pickens
- Out: Travis Bell, Andrew Brown, Bravvion Roy
The Bears obviously wanted to beef up their defensive interior and ultimately spent three draft picks to bring in Dexter, Pickens, and Bell. Dexter and Pickens are roster locks as Day 2 rookies, but we couldn’t find a place on the depth chart for Bell, a seventh-round choice, even though he’s played well in the preseason.
Jones is the only holdover from the 2022 campaign. He and Billings should open the season as starters, but it shouldn’t be a surprise if Dexter and Pickens see heavy rotational usage and become starting-caliber players by the end of the year.
Four defensive tackles might seem light, but the Bears have several edge rushers capable of kicking inside on obvious passing downs.
EDGE
- In: Yannick Ngakoue, DeMarcus Walker, Dominique Robinson, Rasheem Green, Trevis Gipson, Terrell Lewis
- Out: Jalen Harris, D’Anthony Jones
The Bears finally added a veteran edge rusher by agreeing to a one-year deal with Ngakoue in early August. He’ll likely play starter’s snaps from the get-go, although his deficiencies as a run defender could ultimately limit him to obvious passing downs.
Ngakoue and Walker should see the majority of the playing time on the edge, but the rest of the depth chart will be worked in via a rotation. Green and Walker could both see time inside.
Gipson was on the roster bubble heading into the summer, but he’s produced the most pressures (12) in the NFL through two preseason games. Lewis has worked his way onto the roster by posting three sacks — including two strip-sacks — over the past two weeks.
Linebacker
- In: Tremaine Edmunds, TJ Edwards, Jack Sanborn, Noah Sewell, Mykal Walker
- Out: Micah Baskerville, Dylan Cole, DeMarquis Gates, Davion Taylor, Barrington Wade
Edmunds will give Eberflus the big-bodied middle linebacker he’s been looking for in the center of his defense, while Edwards should have the chance to overperform his three-year, $19.5 million contract after a solid four-season run with the Eagles.
Sanborn will become an overqualified third linebacker who may only see time in base packages. However, he’s been banged up throughout the summer, leaving the door open for Sewell to take his reps during practice sessions.
As a veteran with starting experience and special teams chops, Cole looked like a roster lock … until the Bears claimed Walker, a 12-game starter for the Falcons in 2022, off waivers.
Cornerback
- In: Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Terell Smith, Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell
- Out:Â Michael Ojemudia, Greg Stroman Jr., Kindle Vildor
As a second-round pick, Stevenson should have always held the edge in Chicago’s CB2 competition over Smith, a fellow rookie chosen in the fifth round. But Smith made things interesting until an undisclosed injury sidelined him from practice for a week or so.
Stevenson was excellent in the Bears’ first preseason game but committed a penalty and missed an interception against the Colts on Saturday. Although Smith will likely begin the regular season on the bench, he could earn rotational snaps if Stevenson struggles.
The Bills had a similar situation in 2022 when undrafted free agent CB Christian Benford outplayed first-round pick Kaiir Elam. Smith could make an identical leap into the starting lineup.
Vildor is due nearly $3 million in 2023, too much money for a CB6, especially one who wasn’t drafted by the Bears’ current regime. Maybe Vildor could stick around via a pay cut, but even then, Chicago might like Jones and Blackwell more than him.
Safety
- In: Eddie Jackson, Jaquan Brisker, Elijah Hicks, A.J. Thomas
- Out: Macon Clark, Bralen Trahan, Kendall Williamson
Jackson, the Bears’ longest-tenured defender, will return for his seventh season in Chicago after ending last year on injured reserve with a foot issue. He’ll be joined by Brisker, who lined up everywhere in 2022 and was far and away the Bears’ best rookie.
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Hicks was a valuable special teamer after being selected in the seventh round of last year’s draft, and his role should be safe heading into next season, especially after he started both of Chicago’s preseason games in place of an injured Brisker.
Thomas, who appeared in five games for the Bears last season, is still competing with Williamson — a seventh-round rookie — for the club’s fourth safety job. Thomas has been better in coverage this preseason, posted an interception in Week 1, and started in Week 2, so he’s the favorite right now.
Specialists
- In: Cairo Santos (K), Trenton Gill (P), Patrick Scales (LS)
Santos missed five extra points last year but failed to connect on just two field goal attempts, one of which was from 50+ yards. He’s due $4 million in 2022, but he’ll be the Bears’ kicker after they waived undrafted rookie free agent Andre Szmyt in early August.
