Who doesn’t like a 53-man roster projection as the start of Training Camp kicks off? Well, maybe that’s a rhetorical question but we’re doing it anyway! Check out who we believe will make the final roster as the fun is just ramping up.
Training camp is finally here, which means the regular season is just over a month away. Following another active offseason, the Chicago Bears will finally aim to live up to expectations in 2025. With a more talented roster comes fewer roster battles and more confidence. Although there’s still plenty to keep an eye on during training camp and their three preseason games, it’s hard to argue against this being their best roster since their 12-win season in 2018.
Before thoroughly enjoying all of the fun that comes with the training camp and preseason festivities, let’s give this roster one final projection as the action begins.
Quarterback (3): Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, and Case Keenum
Without questions at starting quarterback, this group comes down to whether or not they want to keep three names on the roster. Keenum’s $2.155 million guarantee all but locks him into the roster. It’ll just come down to whether or not he’s the primary backup or Williams’ personal quarterback coach. Either way, the Bears appear to be in good shape.
Practice Squad: Austin Reed
Running Back (4): D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Munangai, Travis Homer
Now that Chicago is through the offseason program portion of their evaluations, it will be interesting to see if they choose to add another name to this group before Week 1. Nobody should be surprised by an outside addition, but with Nick Chubb and J.K. Dobbins off the free agent market, a player like Kenneth Walker III could be the primary focus if they decide they need a better option at the top of the depth chart. For now, we’ll keep this projection simple.
Practice Squad: Ian Wheeler
Tight End (3): Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, and Durham Smythe
Barring a surprise, this group is locked in. More than anything, it’ll be interesting to see what type of roles Kmet and Loveland can carve out for themselves. Expect Smythe to act primarily as a third tackle when he’s on the field. It’s hard to envision many scenarios where they choose to keep a fourth body. Even if Joel Wilson drew headlines during offseason workouts when he was singled-out by head coach Ben Johnson as someone who stood out.
Practice Squad: Joel Wilson
Wide Receiver (5): DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Devin Duvernay
This is yet another group that shouldn’t change too much, barring an injury or the need to carry an extra body. Although Burden has some experience as a returner, this coaching staff might not want to put too much on his plate in Year 1. Instead, they can rely on Duvernay, who has plenty of credentials to be the primary kick and punt returner. More than anything, it’ll be fun to see how they choose to use the Top 4 names on this list. Don’t be surprised to see Zaccheaus open the season as the “starting” slot receiver.
Practice Squad: Myles Boykin and J.P. Richardson
Offensive Line (9): Braxton Jones, Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Darnell Wright, Kiran Amegadjie, Ozzy Trapilo, Luke Newman, and Bill Murray
The Bears went out and signed three interior offensive line starters, and drafted another potential starter with Trapilo in the second round. Now, all that’s left to do is see how the left tackle competition plays out on the field. Jones’ health will play a significant role, but you’d have to believe the Bears are hoping Trapilo can win the job out of the gate. The one notable omission from this list is Ryan Bates. Call it a gut feeling, but I’m not convinced he’s going to be healthy enough to play this season. He missed the two OTA practices that the media were allowed at and was not seen on the field during mandatory minicamp. His arthritis condition is something to monitor, which could leave the Bears scrambling for a proven veteran option for depth.
Practice Squad: Ricky Stromberg, Theo Benedet, & Jordan McFadden
Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Defensive End (5): Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker, Tanoh Kpassagnon, and Daniel Hardy
Just as the Bears were kicking off training camp, general manager Ryan Poles announced a pair of moves, including the addition of Kpassagnon. On the surface, the move doesn’t look like much, but in reality, the veteran should provide some credibility to their unproven depth. Fans shouldn’t rule out another move before Week 1, but for now, this appears to be it. Sweat and Odeyingbo should be a quality starting duo, and if Booker can take the next step in 2025, this could be a good unit. For now, we wait to see Dennis Allen’s plan of how it’ll all come together.
Practice Squad: Xavier Carlton and Jamree Kromah
Defensive Tackle (5): Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., Andrew Billings, Shemar Turner, Jonathan Ford
With the top four names on this list etched in stone, it’ll come down to whether they want to keep a fifth body, and if so, who that is. Chris Williams might have more upside as a pass rusher, but his $3.623 million price might be the determining factor between keeping him and someone like Ford, who is more well-rounded. Depth and overall flexibility shouldn’t be an issue for this team, especially with Odeyingbo sliding inside on certain passing downs. It’s hard to imagine many scenarios where Zacch Pickens wins the fifth spot, without looking like a completely different player than he has been in his first two NFL seasons.
Practice Squad: Zacch Pickens
Linebacker (5): Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Noah Sewell, Amen Ogbongbemiga, and Ruben Hyppolite
Linebacker is yet another spot where it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Bears monitoring the market for an upgrade. Thus far, the coaching staff has spoken highly of Sewell and Hyppolite. Still, it remains to be seen whether either player can demonstrate enough to earn complete confidence in playing SAM and/or serving as the primary backup to Edwards and Edmunds. Allen’s defense rarely uses three linebackers, but even then, depth is a question mark. For now, I’ll continue to project five names with Sewell and Swayze Bozeman battling it out for that final spot.
Practice Squad: Swayze Bozeman
Cornerback (6): Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Terell Smith, Josh Blackwell, and Zah Frazier
Allen loves versatility with his defensive backs, both in coverage ability and positional flexibility. It’ll take some time to get used to seeing the Bears in dime packages more than a traditional base package, but Allen’s typical personnel usage leads me to believe that they’ll carry 10 defensive backs at a minimum. Smith is the one player in this group who might be a square peg in a round hole. Although he played well (when healthy) in Matt Eberflus’ defense, there are some questions as to how well he will fit in a man-heavy scheme. This is the Bears’ most prominent position of strength, so if Smith isn’t deemed a fit, don’t be surprised to see him moved before the start of Week 1.
Practice Squad: Nahshon Wright and Nick McCloud
Safety (5): Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Jonathan Owens, Elijah Hicks, and Tarvarius Moore
The safety position could be one of the two groups on this roster that goes into Week 1 completely untouched from last year. Assuming Byard and Brisker can stay healthy, Chicago will have three quality backups with the ability to contribute in dime packages. Hicks is going into a contract year, and with no safeties on the 2026 roster, could see extended playing time to see how he’ll fare as a starting-caliber player. The ceiling with this group is limited, but this is Brisker’s final chance to prove he can stay healthy and be an impact player on the backend of this defense.
Practice Squad: Major Burns and Alex Cook
Special Teams (3): K Cairo Santos, P Tory Taylor, and LS Scott Daly
Similar to most years, the Bears have brought in some additional competition in a few spots with the specialists. Due to last year’s draft status, Taylor’s job is safe, but Santos and Daly will need to perform well to seal their roles for 2025. Santos’s only real issue is distance, which means that long snapper could be where a surprise move happens. Daly is a quality player and replaced long-time fixture Patrick Scales last season. Still, with Luke Elkin’s history with Taylor, there’s reason to believe the best-case scenario would be a long snapper who is over eight years younger.