Bear Digest

Ian Wheeler and Joel Wilson among Bears let go in latest cutdown

The running back room got much lighter, as Ian Wheeler and another back were trimmed from the Bears roster in cutdowns.
Gene Chamberlain|
The Bears waived running back Ian Wheeler, last year's emotional story of HBO's Hard Knocks.
The Bears waived running back Ian Wheeler, last year's emotional story of HBO's Hard Knocks. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

One of the more compelling stories of Bears training camp ended with the team waiving running back Ian Wheeler Monday as they reduced the roster down 12 more spots.

Wheeler tore an ACL in the final preseason game of 2024 and battled back from it this year. His injury last year was one of the more emotional moments of HBO's Hard Knocks. It's possible Wheeler's comeback could continue with the practice squad.

An unusual situation was solved without cutting a player as 2025 fifth-round draft pick Zah Frazier went on the reserve non-football injury list. Frazier missed all of training camp for what coach Ben Johnson termed a "personal reason."

The Bears could have definitely used the depth at cornerback, where they've had a rash of injuries in camp.

Besides Wheeler, the Bears also released veteran running back Royce Freeman, cornerback Tre Flowers and offensive lineman Joshua Miles.

Freeman just arrived in camp last week due to injuries at running back.

Cutting both Freeman and Wheeler from the roster either means they like recent addition Brittain Brown for the roster or that injured backs Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer and Kyle Monangai will be ready for the opener.

Players waived included tight end Joel Wilson, quarterback Austin Reed, defensive backs Alex Cook, Kaleb Hayes and Millard Bradford, defensive end Xavier Carlton, and linebacker Power Echols.

Cutting Reed leaves the Bears with three quarterbacks. Last year they cut down to two quarterbacks and kept Reed on the practice squad. It's uncertain how they'll treat that this year with veteran Case Keenum as a possible third QB for the 53-man roster.

"I was really proud of Austin playing in the game against Buffalo," offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said. "He’s in a situation that was challenging. You know? We brought in a veteran quarterback. There’s really three established guys in that room and he’s kind of had to be in there as the fourth. He didn’t have a ton of reps throughout camp, and yet when Case is down and he’s able to step in, like every clip that you watch of us doing a walkthrough or Caleb taking a rep, in the background is Austin getting the mental rep.

"So you talk about a guy that had prepared for his opportunity to try to put whatever he could on film and I thought he did a good job of that and dealing with a challenging situation. I’m proud of how he handled it."

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.