Who will be on the Chicago Bears roster on week one?
The draft is in the rearview mirror. The Chicago Bears made some interesting choices, and their new coaching regime is going to reshape the roster.
How will the Bears look in 2025? Let’s look before we even start OTAs as to who will be on the Bears roster this season.
Quarterbacks (3): Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum
Case Keenum has become like an assistant quarterback coach over the last few years and has been credited with helping mentor young quarterbacks, including CJ Stroud. Keenum and Bagent could have a competition for QB2, but I expect Bagent to handle the QB2 duties and Keenum to be the emergency backup on Sundays and a mentor from Monday to Saturday.
Practice Squad: Austin Reed
Running Backs (5): Nick Chubb, D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, Travis Homer
I just can’t see Ben Johnson go into week one with Swift as his primary ball carrier. I can’t see another NFL team wanting to trade for Swift at his current price, and cutting him would be brutal on the Bears’ cap. I feel like the Bears are stuck with Swift, and I’m going to predict they go out and sign Chubb. If they do that, how does that back end settle? Homer had $1,000,000 of his contract guaranteed, and they love his special-teams contributions. I don’t think he goes anywhere. I feel Johnson and Kyle Monangai will be battling for the last spot, and I think they will want to go with Johnson’s well-rounded game, but the fear that Monangai gets grabbed off the practice squad keeps him on the 53. Monangai is more in the Bears’ plans for 2026.
Practice Squad: Ian Wheeler
Wide Receiver (5): DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Olamide Zaccheaus, Devin Duvernay
The Bears keeping a 5th running back leaves them room to only keep five wide receivers instead of the traditional six. Tyler Scott is the odd man out here. Some fans are suggesting that Miles Boykin could make the squad over Scott, but in the end, neither of them does. The top four spots are pretty obvious here, and Duvernay makes the team as the Bears’ primary returner. My thought is that the Bears do not retain Scott on the practice squad either, and his time in Chicago is up, and he is signed to a practice squad elsewhere.
Practice Squad: Miles Boykin, Jahdae Walker
Tight End (3): Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, Durham Smythe
Many of these position groups are going to have plenty of competition up and down the roster, but at tight end, I think this is pretty settled. In 2025, Kmet is going to be the team’s primary tight end as Loveland works into the rotation as a rookie and is utilized as a pass catcher. Smythe will be the team’s TE2 on obvious rushing situations in 12 personnel and will spell Kmet from time to time on early downs, again, in blocking situations.
Practice Squad: Stephen Carlson
Offensive Line (9): Darnell Wright, Braxton Jones, Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, Drew Dalman, Ozzie Trapilo, Kiran Amegadjie, Ryan Bates, Bill Murray
How this offensive line shakes out is going to be fascinating. Will Darnell Wright move to left tackle? Will Ozzie Trapilo start week one? In that case, would Braxton Jones become the swing tackle or be traded? Who ends up being the primary reserve on the interior?
I decided to go conservative here. I think Braxton Jones keeps his spot at LT and Darnell Wright stays at RT, and Trapilo is the swing tackle this year. I think Braxton Jones should get a decent payday after this season, and the Bears can probably do better with a comp pick from Jones in 2027 than a trade for a 2026 pick. I still think Murray has a lot of promise as an IOL and Poles’ crush in Ryan Bates keeps him on the roster as a backup at both C and G. Doug Kramer was re-signed with $0 guaranteed dollars, I think Newman makes the practice squad as a developmental center and Kramer doesn’t make the team in the end.
Practice Squad: Luke Newman, Ricky Stromberg, Jordan McFadden, Theo Benedet
Special Teams (3): Tory Taylor, Cairo Santos, Scott Daly
I predicted Andre Szmyt would take Cairo Santos’ job a couple of years ago, and that proved incorrect. I was thinking about doing it again here with Jonathan Kim. I just think Ben Johnson and Richard Hightower understand they need a kicker with a bigger leg, and Santois just isn’t reliable enough longer than 40 yards. I just don’t think Kim is a big enough prospect to unseat Santos, so Santos keeps his job this season. Taylor and Daly are obvious picks.
Practice Squad: None
Defensive Tackles (6): Grady Jarrett, Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter, Shemar Turner, Chris Williams, Jonathan Ford
It will be interesting to see what the Bears see with Turner. He’s someone who could spend time outside as a defensive end, or perhaps they utilize him in a DeMarcus Walker role, where he plays both inside and out. I’m also curious if Dexter plays some time outside as well. I wouldn’t have brought Williams back at the price they did, and while they can let him go with $0 dead, I think if you are willing to give the man $3 million, your expectation is for him to make the roster. I think Ford beats out Zacch Pickens for the final spot in the rotation.
Practice Squad: Zacch Pickens
Defensive End (4): Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker, Daniel Hardy
I wouldn’t be shocked if the Bears add a veteran edge with this group to take the DE3 role because I don’t think Austin Booker is ready for it, but I think if Dexter and Turner can take more snaps on the outside, perhaps the Bears can avoid that signing. The good thing about this position, is that there’s always decent options available in August, so if the Bears don’t feel good about their Edge group after a couple of weeks of training camp, they can add a veteran into the mix, but for now, I’ll say they hold firm here. This is also where the Bears finally part ways with Dominique Robinson.
Practice Squad: Jamree Kromah
Linebackers (5): Tremaine Edmunds, TJ Edwards, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Noah Sewell, Ruben Hypolitte
I think the Bears’ approach to linebacker has been odd this offseason. They let Jack Sanborn walk (signed for $1.5m with only $125,000), didn’t replace him, and signed TJ Edwards to an extension, which, in my opinion, he did not earn based on how he played the back half of last season. I know fans have come to his defense because of how poorly the team played, well then you could have waited until November to sign him to an extension (like they did with Andrew Billings), once they see how he’s playing in Dennis Allen’s defense. On top of that, they made what draft experts agree is a reach of a pick with Hypolitte, who can run like the wind but doesn’t project as well on defense, and feels like he ends up being more of a special-teams contributor to me.
Is Sewell going to be the SAM linebacker this year when the Bears aren’t in nickel? Some questions need answers here, and at this point, I’m not equipped to answer them.
Practice Squad: Power Echols
Safety (4): Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, Jonathan Owens, Elijah Hicks
I feel this group is a lot like tight end. I’d be surprised if this group wasn’t the four that make the 53 in September. With Brisker missing extended time last year, Hicks took over for Owens as the starting safety so if anyone gets cut from this group, I feel like Owens as the strongest possibility, but he made an impact on special teams last year and I feel his role is still pretty safe with this group considering the Bears didn’t make any moves in free agency or the draft that would make you suspect otherwise.
Practice Squad: Tavarius Moore
Cornerback (6): Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Terell Smith, Josh Blackwell, Zah Frazier
This is another group that I feel is pretty straightforward. Stevenson and Smith should be competing for a starting role, but I feel Stevenson gets put on high alert by this coaching staff, and his skill set should be something that Dennis Allen likes. But he will be on a short leash for sure with this staff. Smith is the primary reserve on the outside and Blackwell is the primary reserve at nickel, and Frazier makes the squad as a developmental player.
Practice Squad: Ameer Speed, Nick McCloud, Shaun Wade