The Chicago Bears have worked their way through the first major evaluation period of the 2025 NFL offseason after completing OTAs earlier this month.
For the first time, Bears first-year head coach Ben Johnson and his new coaches had an opportunity to work with their players on the practice field, taking full advantage of 10 voluntary practices and a three-day veteran minicamp that included everyone healthy.
Now, Johnson and his staff — and we, the fans — have a clearer picture of what the Bears’ 53-man roster will look like heading into the start of the 2025 regular season.
Here’s an early projection for which players will and won’t make the cut after OTAs:
GettyBears quarterback Caleb Williams.
Quarterback (3): Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum
Keenum will not just lie down and accept his role as the Bears’ No. 3 quarterback, but chances are still good that Bagent emerges as the team’s top backup for a third straight season. Either way, Chicago will likely keep the 37-year-old Keenum on the roster as a mentor and leadership figure who can help them develop both Williams and Bagent.
Cut: Austin Reed
Running Back (4): D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, Travis Homer
The Bears have four clear-cut options for their backfield coming out of OTAs, though Wheeler could push for the fourth spot if he returns to form after last preseason’s torn ACL. The bigger mystery is whether Chicago will add another running back to the mix through free agency or the trade market. If the Bears do not make any further additions, though, the backfield group will look awfully similar to 2024’s unit.
Cut: Ian Wheeler, Deion Hankins (R)
GettyBears wide receiver Rome Odunze.
Wide Receiver (6): DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Olamide Zaccheaus, Devin Duvernay, Tyler Scott
The Bears made a number of quality additions to their receiving corps during the 2025 offseason, signing veterans Zaccheaus and Duvernay to their rotation before lucking out and landing Burden — one of the draft’s top playmakers — early in the second round. As a result, their receiving room is stronger from top to bottom and easier to project than in previous years when they had more competition for the bottom spots. Scott is the favorite to round out the rotation, but his vanishing act in 2024 makes him vulnerable.
Cut: Miles Boykin, Samori Toure, John Jackson III, Maurice Alexander, JP Richardson (R), Jahdae Walker (R)
Tight End (3): Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet, Durham Smythe
The Bears solidified the top two spots in their rotation when they selected Loveland in the first round of April’s draft. While it is still unclear how the Bears plan to divide the snap count between him and the veteran Kmet, both figure to play meaningful roles for the Bears’ passing offense in 2025. Smythe, an early free-agent signing, gets the nod as the No. 3 tight end for the time being, but Joel Wilson earned praise from Johnson for his pass-catching efforts in OTAs and could push Smythe for his spot if he continues to impress the coaches during training camp.
Cut: Joel Wilson, Stephen Carlson, Jordan Murray
GettyBears offensive lineman Jordan McFadden.
Offensive Line (10): Braxton Jones, Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Darnell Wright, Ozzy Trapilo, Ryan Bates, Kiran Amegadjie, Luke Newman, Bill Murray
The Bears overhauled their offensive line during the 2025 offseason, adding three new veteran starters to their interior in Thuney, Dalman and Jackson and drafting Trapilo in the second round to hedge their bets with Jones as their starting left tackle. And with so many new additions, the initial 53-man alignment is much easier to predict. Amegadjie and Newman are recent draft picks and talents worth further development. Meanwhile, Bates provides quality depth for the Bears’ interior rotation, so long as he stays healthy.
Cut: Ricky Stromberg, Jordan McFadden, Chris Glaser, Theo Benedet, Joshue Miles
Defensive End (4): Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker, Dominique Robinson
Defensive end is another spot where the Bears could add more talent before the start of training camp, but these projections will work with what is already on the Bears’ roster. Sweat and Odeyingbo are both signed for the next three seasons to big-money contracts and Booker is a recent draft pick who showed promise for the Bears in limited snaps as a rookie in 2024. The lingering question is: Do the Bears have their No. 4 edge rusher? Robinson is the frontrunner among the Bears’ current personnel after Johnson praised his development as a speed rusher during OTAs, but Hardy could give him a run for his money in camp. Alternatively, another free-agent signing would put both in jeopardy.
Cut: Daniel Hardy, Xavier Carlton, Jamree Kromah, Jereme Robinson (R)
GettyBears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr.
Defensive Tackle (5): Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., Shemar Turner, Andrew Billings, Zacch Pickens
The attention the Bears paid to the defensive tackle position in the offseason makes the projections relatively straightforward for the 2025 season. Dexter returns eyeing a big leap in his third season and will have fresh help in the veteran Jarrett and the second-round rookie Turner. The Bears should also receive a boon from the return of Billings, who missed half of the 2024 season with a torn pectoral. The fifth spot in the rotation — if the Bears do, in fact, keep five defensive tackles — is what remains undecided. Pickens gets the benefit of the doubt as a former third-round pick, for now, but Williams could push him off the roster if he follows up last year’s solid production with a strong camp.
Cut: Chris Williams, Jonathan Ford
Linebacker (5): Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Ruben Hyppolite II, Noah Sewell, Amen Ogbongbemiga
The rookie Hyppolite stood out in OTAs and mandatory minicamp after the Bears made him one of the most surprising selections of the 2025 NFL draft earlier this spring. If he continues to impress the coaching staff in camp, he could stake his claim to the strong-side role that Jack Sanborn left behind when he signed with Dallas, though he will need to fend off a challenge from Sewell, who has spent two seasons with the Bears defense. Ogbongbemiga is currently the favorite to win the fifth and final spot in the rotation after signing an extension this offseason, but don’t count out undrafted rookie Power Echols as a promising youngster who could potentially bump out Ogbongbemiga.
Cut: Power Echols (R), Swayze Bozeman
GettyBears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
Cornerback (6): Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson, Terell Smith, Zah Frazier, Josh Blackwell
The expected battle between Stevenson, Smith and Frazier for the outside cornerback job opposite Johnson should be one of the most interesting for the Bears during 2025’s training camp. All three young corners, however, should have little trouble making the roster unless they play their way out of the rotation. Blackwell is also a shoo-in to make the team as the backup slot cornerback behind Gordon after signing a two-year, $4 million extension with the Bears in March, largely because of his special-teams play.
Cut: Nick McCloud, Ameer Speed, Nahshon Wright, Jeremiah Walker (R), Shaun Wade
Safety (4): Kevin Byard III, Jaquan Brisker, Jonathan Owens, Elijah Hicks
The top three spots in the rotation seem solidified, but the final spot, which belonged to Hicks in 2024, is still up for grabs heading into the summer break before training camp. Hicks has started 15 of his 44 career games for the Bears and played both defense and special teams, tallying 103 total tackles, a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries over his first three seasons. That said, the undrafted rookies — Tysheem Johnson and Major Burns — could make things interesting if either one shows out during camp.
Cut: Tarvarius Moore, Alex Cook, Major Burns (R), Tysheem Johnson (R)
GettyBears punter Tory Taylor.
Specialist (3): Cairo Santos, Tory Taylor, Scott Daly
Little to change about this group, especially after Johnson brought back special teams coordinator Richard Hightower for his fourth season in Chicago. Santos and Taylor are both signed through the 2027 season and have given the Bears strong enough play to avoid any serious threats to their jobs. Meanwhile, Daly re-signed with the Bears on a one-year deal earlier in the offseason after holding down the long snapper job in 2024. While they have undrafted rookie Luke Elkin to push him, Daly remains the favorite.
Cut: Jonathan Kim (K), Luke Elkin (LS)
Chicago Bears 53-Man Roster Projection Following 2025 OTAs