(670 The Score) The Bears will wrap up their preseason Friday evening against the Chiefs.
That will give Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson one last look at their team in game action before Chicago's regular-season opener on Sept. 8. With that in mind, here's a projection of the initial 53-man roster as the Bears make their final evaluations of players.
Note: Roster cutdowns are due by Tuesday at 3 p.m. CT. Teams will then have until Wednesday at noon to submit waiver claims. The Bears hold the No. 10 position in the claiming order. This roster projection only factors in players who are currently on the roster.
Quarterbacks (3): Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum
With Williams set to start his second NFL season, the Bears have done a good job surrounding him with Bagent and Keenum in the quarterback room. Second-year quarterback Austin Reed could once again land on the practice squad.
Running backs (4): D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, Travis Homer
Injuries have muddied the picture at this position. The Bears believe that Swift can get back on track after a disappointing 2024 season and that Johnson can be used efficiently by this coaching staff. The Bears could look to add a running back on the waiver wire or even through a trade in the coming weeks.
Wide receivers (6): DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luther Burden III, Devin Duvernay, Maurice Alexander
Zaccheaus has been a standout throughout training camp and the preseason, proving his place alongside Moore, Odunze and Burden. Keep an eye on Alexander, an intriguing player whom Johnson coached in Detroit.
Tight ends (3): Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, Durham Smythe
It was never a matter of whom the Bears would keep at tight end. The question has always been about how they'll be utilized in Johnson’s offense.
Offensive line (10): Braxton Jones, Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Darnell Wright, Theo Benedet, Ozzy Trapilo, Ryan Bates, Luke Newman, Kiran Amegadjie
Jones seems to have earned his place as the starter at left tackle, while Benedet went from a likely cut to next in line. The Bears have quality depth on their offensive line this season.
Defensive line (9): Montez Sweat, Grady Jarrett, Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter, Dayo Odeyingbo, Shemar Turner, Chris Williams, Austin Booker, Dominique Robinson
There are no real surprises with this group. We'll be watching to see what a healthy Sweat can bring to lead this defensive front.
Linebacker (5): Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Noah Sewell, Ruben Hyppolite II, Amen Ogbongbemiga
The biggest storyline here is whom the Bears will use as their third linebacker alongside Edmunds and Edwards. It seems Sewell will be the man, as he has impressed throughout camp.
Cornerback (6): Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson, Josh Blackwell, Nahshon Wright, Nick McCloud
The hope is that Johnson (leg) will be ready for the season opener. This group took a big hit when Terell Smith suffered a season-ending knee injury in a preseason game Sunday.
Safety (4): Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Jonathan Owens, Elijah Hicks
Brisker has played in 35 of a possible 51 games in his three-year NFL career, and he missed a dozen games in 2024. Keeping him healthy will be critical for the secondary.
Special teams (3): Kicker Cairo Santos, punter Tory Taylor, long snapper Scott Daly
It’s always nice to have continuity on special teams. The Bears are returning their kicker, punter and long snapper from 2024.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.