Windy City Gridiron
The 2025 NFL preseason has come and gone in the matter of 12 days for the Chicago Bears. It was a productive offseason that started with the hiring of a brand-new coaching staff. After an active free agent period and eight picks in April’s draft, the roster felt ready for camp. Injuries have impacted some projections along the way, but when all is said and done, the Bears have to feel pretty good about where they are heading into Week 1. Before we put a bow on the preseason, let’s dive into a final edition of five Bears takes.
1. A few dates to keep in mind in the coming days
Although the official conclusion of the NFL preseason is the night after the Bears finish out in Kansas City, the cut-down period will be the same for all 32 teams. Teams must go from 90 to 53 over the next few days, and for a select few teams (like the Bears), their international player roster exemptions run out, which means they’ll be cutting down from 91. Following that period, teams will have 20 hours to submit waiver claims for any player who qualifies for waivers. Of note, the Bears will be 10th in that order, which is the same as what the draft order would have been without any trades.
Unlike previous years, I wouldn’t expect Chicago to be as active on the wire. Usually, the most active teams are the teams searching for the most help, which is something Bears fans are no strangers to over the last few seasons. This is a team that has gone from Year 1 of an extensive rebuild to a time where they should be competing for a playoff spot. When general manager Ryan Poles was on 670 The Score last week, he noted that there are 57 (or so) players that they feel really good about. It’s fair to assume that over his first two seasons as general manager, that number was well into the low-to-mid 40s.
Now, this isn’t to say that the Bears won’t have “holes” on their roster, because most teams do. Running back and defensive end are two positions that stand out as spots that Poles and the front office could target in the coming days. Part of their urgency could depend on the health of players like Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, Austin Booker, and Dominique Robinson. As a whole, I wouldn’t expect a super active period or a ton of shuffling at the bottom end of the roster, but as any good general manager will tell you, teams will always keep their options open when it comes to upgrading their roster.
Buckle in, Bears fans. The start of the regular season is drawing closer, and the next few days are guaranteed to provide...
