BRAD BIGGS and SEAN HAMMOND Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson completed their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday.
The roster is always evolving throughout a season, but for now, this is what the 2025 Bears will look like. Next, the Bears had until 11 a.m. Wednesday to put in waiver claims on players who were waived by other teams. The Bears will also begin to build their 16-player practice squad.
A lot can change between now and the Sept. 8 season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. But here’s a look at the initial Bears roster, including who made the cut — and who didn’t — at every position.
Quarterbacks (3)
On the roster: Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum
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Notable cuts: Austin Reed
Quick take: No surprises here. Williams is the starter and Bagent — fresh off signing a two-year contract extension worth at least $10 million — will once again be his backup. Keenum will be a sounding board for the young quarterbacks. The Bears signed Keenum over the offseason primarily because he can be a veteran voice among the QBs. Reed, an undrafted free agent out of Western Kentucky a year ago, is a young quarterback whom the Bears like and will probably try to keep on the practice squad.
Wide receivers (6)
On the roster: DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luther Burden III, Devin Duvernay and Jahdae Walker
Notable cuts: Tyler Scott and JP Richardson
Quick take: Moore and Odunze are locked in as the top two options at the position. After an impressive camp, Zaccheaus seems likely to be the No. 3 option ahead of Burden, at least to start the season. Duvernay is primarily a return specialist. The biggest question here was what to do with the sixth spot? It likely came down to Scott, a 2023 fourth-round draft pick, versus Walker, an undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M. Walker caught eight passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason. That included a game-winning touchdown grab from Bagent in the final minute on Friday in Kansas City. Scott caught seven passes for 99 yards and a touchdown over his three preseason appearances. In the end, the Bears went with the undrafted rookie in Walker.
Running backs (3)
On the roster: D’Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai and Roschon Johnson
Notable cuts: Brittain Brown and Ian Wheeler
Notable move: Travis Homer (IR, designated to return)
Quick take: Injuries muddled the running back situation behind Swift. Johnson has missed much of camp with a foot injury, while Homer has dealt with a calf injury. Monangai, the seventh-round rookie out of Rutgers, also has a soft-tissue injury and did not play in the final two preseason games. A stark reality set in on Monday when the team trotted out just two healthy running backs in Swift and Brown for practice. Brown signed with the Bears midway through camp as the injuries began to pile up. Wheeler, one of the stars of “Hard Knocks” a year ago, returned from a torn ACL but didn’t quite show enough to earn a spot. Ryan Poles was optimistic that Monangai and Johnson should be back relatively soon, but this also could be a position where the Bears look for outside help. Homer’s move to injured reserve means he must miss at least four games.
Tight ends (3)
On the roster: Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland and Durham Smythe
Notable cuts: Stephen Carlson and Joel Wilson
Quick take: How Johnson makes use of Kmet and Loveland will be a subplot to this season. The Bears hope they can emerge as a top tight end duo. Smythe is primarily a blocking tight end who likely won’t have the ball in his hands too often. He caught just nine passes with Miami last season. Smythe does, however, have previous experience working with Johnson, who was an assistant coach in Miami when Smythe was a rookie in 2018. Carlson spent each of the past two seasons on the Bears practice squad. Wilson led the team with 11 receptions during the preseason. The Bears will probably look to stash at least one tight end on the practice squad.
Offensive lineman (10)
On the roster: Braxton Jones (LT), Joe Thuney (LG), Drew Dalman (C), Jonah Jackson (RG), Darnell Wright (RT), Theo Benedet (OT), Ozzy Trapilo (OT), Luke Newman (G/C), Ryan Bates (G/C) and Kiran Amegadjie (OT/G)
Notable cuts: Doug Kramer Jr. (C) and Bill Murray (G)
Quick take: After all the talk of the position battle at left tackle, the Bears are back where they started with Jones, the incumbent starter who will likely win the job. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. With 40 career starts under his belt, Jones is the most experienced tackle on the roster. The Bears have a lot of experience in the starting lineup between Thuney, Dalman and Jackson. Then there are some hungry young guys waiting, should someone go down due to injury. Benedet flew up the depth chart during camp. Trapilo, a rookie second-round draft pick, has the versatility to play right or left tackle after initially battling for the left tackle job. Newman, another rookie, looks like a versatile backup on the interior. With the 10th and final spot, the Bears kept Amegadjie, a third-round draft pick from a year ago. While Amegadjie didn’t last long in the left tackle battle, he’s still a developmental lineman whom the team has tried at various positions.
Defensive lineman (10)
On the roster: DEs Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker, Daniel Hardy and Dominique Robinson, and DTs Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter, Andrew Billings, Chris Williams and Shemar Turner
Notable cuts: Zacch Pickens, Tanoh Kpassagnon
Quick take: The Bears invested in the pass rush during free agency by signing Odeyingbo ($48 million, three years) and Jarrett ($42.75 million, three years). Odeyingbo led the Indianapolis Colts with 17 quarterback hits last season but had only three sacks, making it paramount that he do a better job of finishing. Jarrett should help collapse the pocket more often and the presence of both should aid Sweat, who slumped with only 5 1/2 sacks last season. Provided Booker bounces back from a knee injury, he could also aid the rush so the Bears don’t have to rely too much on manufactured pressure.
Linebackers (5)
On the roster: Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Noah Sewell, Ruben Hyppolite and Carl Jones Jr.
Notable move: Amen Ogbongbemiga (IR, designated to return)
Quick take: Edmunds and Edwards return to anchor the middle of the defense for the third consecutive season. It will be interesting to see if Edwards takes over in the middle, as the team has discussed, and Edmunds moves to the weak side. Edwards’ instincts make him a good candidate at both spots and similarly, Edmunds’ range gives defensive coordinator Dennis Allen options. Sewell is projected to be the third linebacker in 4-3 looks and Hyppolite, a fourth-round draft pick from Maryland, adds an element of speed to the position.
Cornerbacks (6)
On the roster: Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson, Nahshon Wright, Nick McCloud and Josh Blackwell
Quick take: Provided he’s cleared and ready to go, one of the bigger questions remaining for the coaching staff is who starts opposite Johnson in Week 1 against the Vikings? Stevenson and Wright worked almost exclusively with the first team throughout training camp, so there is no shortage of film for the decision makers to evaluate. The team has consistently said Johnson, who has been out since the start of training camp with a calf injury, will be ready for the opener. He’s yet to practice — and it’s worth wondering what his level of conditioning will be. McCloud provides versatility in a reserve role.
Safeties (4)
On the roster: Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, Elijah Hicks and Jonathan Owens
Notable cuts: Tysheem Johnson
Quick take: Brisker’s durability remains the focus at safety after he missed the final 12 games last season with a concussion. Concussions in each of his three seasons have sidelined him for a total of 16 games, and entering a contract season, he needs to stay on the field. The good news is he made it through camp and preseason without suffering the kind of minor injuries that cost him training time in the past. It’s worth noting that all four safeties are in the final year of their respective contracts.
Specialists (3)
On the roster: Cairo Santos (K),Tory Taylor (P) and Scott Daly (LS)
Quick take: Santos, 33, worked on improving his leg strength over the offseason and we’ll see if that leads to some longer field goal attempts. He’s been excellent from 50-plus yards over the last three seasons, converting 19 of 22 attempts. Taylor looks to build upon a rookie season in which he set club records with a gross average of 47.7 yards and net of 41.6. Daly returns after he was tabbed to replace longtime mainstay Patrick Scales at the start of last season.
Brad Biggs
Get your popcorn ready. It’s going to be very interesting to see how things unfold offensively. The Bears have an innovative and proven offensive mind running the team with a staff of assistants who seem ready to hold players accountable. The offensive line has been upgraded and while it’s not perfect, it’s plenty good enough for a quarterback to flourish behind. There are so many skill position players for Caleb Williams to involve in the passing game that it’s going to be tough to keep everyone involved on a weekly basis. The factors most quickly associated with Bears’ quarterback failure — coaching, playbook/play calling, offensive line and receivers — have been upgraded. Williams has a lot of ground to gain on other rookies from his 2024 draft class, namely Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix. The Bears have a lot of ground to gain in the NFC North after a last-place finish. Williams and the starters on offense have been up and down since training camp opened, just as they were in preseason games. The lights will be shining bright in Week 1. The focus is on the quarterback with fans hoping — yet again — for a breakthrough season.
Sean Hammond
Draft status means nothing after draft weekend. That’s the clear message that Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson sent. Just ask Zacch Pickens and Tyler Scott. The pair of 2023 draft picks were cut just two years into their four-year rookie contracts. Jahdae Walker, the undrafted rookie receiver out of Texas A&M, was impressive during the preseason, including the game-winning touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. He earned his spot on the team. Pickens and Scott simply haven’t made enough plays over the past two seasons, or in training camp this year. Poles and Johnson are prioritizing players who can help them win right now. Developmental players are important on any team, but they can only be developmental players for so long in the NFL.
Phil Thompson
For the second season, Ryan Poles has tried to address deficiencies in the trenches by sinking money into both the offensive and defensive lines in the offseason. During camp, the Bears seem to have discovered some depth on the offensive line with Theo Benedet and Ozzy Trapilo. But can this line be elite or just good enough? The Bears have some big dollars dedicated to defense — Montez Sweat and Jaylon Johnson represent two of the top three salary cap hits, along with Grady Jarrett playing on a hefty contract — so one would hope to see more urgency than the first unit displayed against the Kansas City Chiefs in the preseason finale. And if the Bears don’t make any other moves, they’re taking a gamble at running back with D’Andre Swift leading a banged-up group consisting of Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai.
Pennsylvania State University
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