The Chicago Bears' 53-man roster is official. Here are some of the top takeaways from Ben Johnson's team after Chicago's staff trimmed down the roster.
The Chicago Bears' 53-man roster is set for the 2026 NFL season.
It's worth remembering that the current roster won't necessarily match the active group for the Week 1 opener against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 13.
There will be some changes.
Coby Bryant made the 53-man roster, but he has a four- to six-month timetable and will likely be placed on injured reserve, opening up a roster spot. There are also only four linebackers on the team. That's going to change, too.
Let's go through some of my top takeaways from the Bears' 2026 53-man roster.
Cutting Ties
General manager Ryan Poles' track record with selecting players in the third round is impressive in all the wrong ways. Since 2022 the Bears have selected five players in the third round, two remain -- tight end Sam Roush and wide receiver Zavion Thomas.
They were both selected this past April.
Wide receiver/returner Velus Jones Jr., defensive tackle Zacch Pickens and most recently offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie are gone.
Amegadjie was given plenty of opportunities to prove that he could make the jump from Yale to the NFL, but that never happened. For whatever reason, this Bears personnel department has yet to identify talent in the third round, but Roush and Thomas will get their opportunities to change that track record for the Bears' general manager.
Former first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr. was released with an injury settlement. Like Amegadjie, he didn't show enough in training camp or the preseason games to justify earning a spot on a roster that desperately needed left tackle help.
The Bears selected linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II with the 132nd overall pick in the fourth round in 2025. He was released with an injury designation, meaning if he clears waivers, he would return to the Bears' injured reserve list, which is what happened on Monday afternoon. Hyppolite played in seven games, finishing with six total tackles.
Cornerback Terell Smith, a 2023 fifth-round pick, he was also waived. Smith played well in the preseason finale against the Titans on Saturday, but that wasn't enough to keep the defensive back on the team.
The Undrafted(s)
We all know that Ben Johnson loves his tight ends. This team has one of the most complete rooms in the NFL with Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet and Sam Roush. Well, you can also add undrafted free agent from Iowa Hayden Large to the group.
He brings versatility as someone who can lineup inline or in the backfield as a full back. He did get injured in last Tuesday's practice at Halas Hall and could be placed on IR.
Defensive tackle Jayden Loving made the most of his opportunities throughout the summer. There was one training camp practice where he beat second-round draft pick Logan Jones on back-to-back reps, causing Jones to shove Loving before the two had to be split up.
The 6-foot-1, 309-pound defensive tackle from Wake Forest plays with plenty of motor. That's exactly what this coaching staff is looking for in its players.
Defensive end Jamree Kromah transformed his body this offseason, took advantage of his reps, especially in the game against the Cleveland Browns, and earned a spot on the 53-man roster. Not bad for the undrafted free agent out of Rutgers and James Madison.
Safety Skyler Thomas, who played his college ball at Oregon State, took advantage of all the injuries in the secondary. Long snapper Beau Gardner beat out Luke Elkin in camp to earn the starting job.
Surprise Cuts
Wide receiver Kaden Davis did everything he could to make the 53-man roster. He consistently made plays in training camp and in the preseason. He's a candidate to come back on the practice squad.
Linebacker Jack Sanborn played plenty of reps with the Bears' starting defense throughout the summer with T.J. Edwards sidelined. The Bears only have four linebackers on the active roster, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Sanborn back.
The Bears released defensive end Marcus Davenport, who didn't participate in one practice for his short time in Chicago. With ties to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and head coach Ben Johnson, I have a feeling the former first-round pick will return.
