Windy City Gridiron
The lead-up to Training Camp and the preseason seems to drag on forever from May through late July. Once teams finally report, strap the pads on, and get the preseason going, the process flies by. This year was no different for the Chicago Bears. In a matter of 12 days, the Bears played all three preseason games. Now, this first-year coaching staff will have their work cut off for them as they whittle down their 91-man roster to 53 players and a 16-man practice squad.
Before roster decisions are officially made, we’ll dive into each position to see what’s changed since our last projection and predict what to expect in the coming days. Brace yourselves, Bears fans. Regular season football is upon us, but first, we must find out who will be on the Week 1 roster.
Quarterback (3): Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, and Case Keenum
In an ideal world, who wins the backup job wouldn’t matter because Williams would start and play in all 17 regular games. Bears fans know how unrealistic that has been, though. Williams was the first quarterback to start every regular season game since the mid-90s. Either way, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they don’t carry three quarterbacks into the season. After all, they guaranteed Keenum over $2 million this offseason.
Practice Squad: Austin Reed
Running Back (4): D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, Travis Homer
Despite the national perception of this group, head coach Ben Johnson and his staff appear more comfortable rolling into the season with some unknowns. Johnson and Swift have a history going back to their time in Detroit, but the bigger question will be who slots in behind the veteran speedster. Monangia has impressed during camp, but Johnson provides some semblance of NFL experience. Health and availability remain Johnson’s biggest downfall. With Homer’s value coming in the special teams department, it might take a few weeks for this group to sort itself out behind Swift. Don’t be surprised to see the Bears make a move before Week 1.
Practice Squad: Ian Wheeler
Tight End (3): Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, and Durham Smythe
It seems like keeping the top three names on the depth chart is the only logical conclusion after an offseason full of Joel Wilson hype. The team should have minimal issues sliding Wilson onto the practice squad, especially after a lackluster preseason. Fans should expect a pretty even split when it comes to snaps in the early going with Kmet and Loveland, but make no mistake: Loveland is the future of this team when it comes to catching passes from the tight end position. That doesn’t mean that Kmet won’t have a role, but there are a few players in this league that have the height/speed combo that the No. 10 overall pick brings. Smythe should see his fair share of snaps, too.
Practice Squad: Joel Wilson
Wide Receiver (5): DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luther Burden III, and Devin Duvernay
Have the Bears ever...
