LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- The Bears on Tuesday set their initial 53-man roster for the 2022 regular season.
With their season opener looming on Sept. 11, the Bears concluded their training camp with spirited competition. That was the goal for first-year general manager Ryan Poles and first-year coach Matt Eberflus as Chicago's roster is in transition.
As Poles has reset the Bears' roster and built for his vision, there are 30 newcomers brought in this offseason as part of the initial 53. That includes 13 rookies on the roster, with 10 draft picks and three undrafted free agents.
The Bears and each of the NFL’s 31 other teams will begin the waiver claim process at 11 a.m. CT Wednesday. Poles is expected to be active on the waiver wire, especially given that Chicago sits seventh in the order.
Here's a look at the Bears’ initial 53-man roster.
Quarterback (2) -- Justin Fields, Trevor Siemian
Cuts (1) -- Nathan Peterman
It would’ve taken an injury to shake up the quarterback position in any other way. Fields is the Bears’ starter, Siemian is the backup and Peterman will likely land on Chicago’s practice squad.
Running back (3) -- David Montgomery, Khalil Herbert, Trestan Ebner
Cuts (2) -- Darrynton Evans, De’Montre Tuggle
The Bears like their depth at running back behind the fourth-year starter Montgomery, who could share the workload in the backfield.
Fullback (1) -- Khari Blasingame
In Blasingame, the Bears have a full-time fullback for the first time since Michael Burton was on the team in 2017-’18.
Wide receiver (7) -- Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown, N’Keal Harry, Byron Pringle, Dante Pettis, Velus Jones Jr., Tajae Sharpe
Cuts (3) -- Chris Finke, Isaiah Coulter, Nsimba Webster
Harry is expected to land on injured reserve Wednesday, which would keep him out for at least the first four games of the regular season. There could be some waiver claims at wide receiver.
Tight end (3) -- Cole Kmet, Ryan Griffin, Jake Tonges
Cuts (2) -- Chase Allen, James O'Shaughnessy
Tonges plays an H-back role. O'Shaughnessy was released with a non-football illness designation.
Offensive line (9) -- Braxton Jones, Cody Whitehair, Lucas Patrick Sam Mustipher, Teven Jenkins, Larry Borom, Riley Reiff, Zachary Thomas, Ja’Tyre Carter
Cuts (4) -- Michael Schofield, Shon Coleman, Dieter Eiselen Lachavious Simmons
Schofield was working with the Bears’ first-team offensive line earlier in August, but he ended up getting released. Jenkins ends a challenging preseason by being set as the starter at right guard.
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Defensive line (8) -- Robert Quinn, Justin Jones, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Trevis Gipson, Khyiris Tonga, Angelo Blackson, Dominique Robinson, Mike Pennel Jr.
Cuts (5) -- Mario Edwards Jr., Micah Dew-Treadway, Charles Snowden, Trevon Coley, Sam Kamara
Edwards may seem like a surprising cut, but he missed time during the offseason program and never flashed when on the field. The Bears prioritized younger players over Edwards.
Linebacker (6) -- Roquan Smith, Nick Morrow, Matt Adams, Joe Thomas, Jack Sanborn, Caleb Johnson
Cuts (1) -- DeMarquis Gates
Earlier in August, it was worth wondering if Smith would be on the initial roster after he had demanded a trade out of Chicago. He recently returned from his contract hold-in, and the Bears’ depth at linebacker stepped up in his absence.
Cornerback (6) -- Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Kindle Vildor, Lamar Jackson, Duke Shelley, Jaylon Jones
Cuts (3) -- Thomas Graham Jr., Greg Stroman Jr., Davontae Harris
Gordon is set to be the Bears’ nickel cornerback, but it’s still unclear who will start at the boundary position opposite of Johnson. Waiver claims are possible at cornerback.
Safety (5) -- Eddie Jackson, Jaquan Brisker, DeAndre Houston-Carson, Dane Cruikshank, Elijah Hicks
Cuts (2) -- Jon Alexander, A.J. Thomas
Citing how their strengths complement one another, Jackson and Brisker believe they can elevate each other's play this season.
Special teams (3) -- Cairo Santos, Trenton Gill, Patrick Scales
The Bears special teams were set as expected.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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