4 Chicago Bears on the Bubble Who Can Lock Up A Roster Spot Against the Bengals

A few Chicago Bears helped themselves greatly with strong performances in the team's preseason opener against Cleveland. However, it'll take more than one game and two weeks of practice for players on the roster bubble to prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they deserve to stick around.

With that said, stacking quality performances in the preseason is a good way to make a positive impression on the coaching staff. There are a few players who can effectively lock up their spot on the roster with another strong showing this week against the Bengals.

Which players stand out from the crowd with the best odds?

Salvon Ahmed

Running back Salvon Ahmed had the most electric play of last week's contest when he took a screen pass 49 yards to the house. Yes, the blocking downfield from both the offensive line and receivers was great, but Ahmed showed great vision, patience, and finished it off with great breakaway speed. Roschon Johnson also helped himself against Cleveland, but how many yards do you think he would've had on that play? My guess is 15-20.

Notably, Ahmed was also one of the biggest risers over the first two weeks of training camp (you'll notice a theme here). While his roster status isn't yet 100% locked up, it effectively will be if he shows out against Cincinnati. That's reflected in the Bears cutting ties with undrafted rookie Coleman Bennett earlier this week. Not only might Ahmed make the roster, but he could actually play valuable snaps in the season opener if Kyle Monangai isn't back in the lineup by that point.

Kentavius Street

The Bears' top three defensive tackles (Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., and Neville Gallimore) all have secure roster spots. It feels safe to assume sixth-round selection Jordan van den Berg is also a relative lock to stick around, considering how much promise he's shown. They're obviously not going to cut DT/DE hybrid Shemar Turner one year after selecting him in the second round, either.

From that point, Kentavius Street, James Lynch, and Jayden Loving are probably fighting for one spot. While Lynch played well last week, knocking down a pass and hitting Deshaun Watson once, I actually thought Street showed more promise. He bullied the Browns' backup offensive line on a few occasions and spent much of the game in Cleveland's backfield. That, combined with the fact that he was a surprise standout from training camp, should give him the edge over his competition if he does it again.

Theo Benedet

Theo Benedet's roster status was previously considered a lock, but Ozzy Trapilo's Superman-like recovery from his torn patellar tendon put the Bears' entire offensive tackle room on notice. Six players are fighting for four spots. Considering one of those players is Darnell Wright, another was drafted in the second round last year (Trapilo), and another has $3 million guaranteed with a $5 million salary (Braxton Jones), the competition now features three players fighting for one spot.

Luckily for Benedet, the other two players didn't exactly stand out against Cleveland. Not for good reasons, anyway. They were two of the lowest-graded players on the Bears' offense. That fact might have something to do with Benedet playing more on the left side in practice this week. Jones is still the obvious front-runner to start there (until Trapilo is officially ready for live reps, anyway), but the writing might already be on the wall for Jedrick Wills Jr. and Kiran Amegadjie. Benedet, who they probably wouldn't be able to get back on the practice squad if they cut him, can stake his claim on the competition with a strong showing against Cincinnati.

Beanie Bishop Jr.

Beanie Bishop celebrating an interception — Jan 4, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. (31) celebrates after intercepting a Cincinnati Bengals pass during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Beanie Bishop Jr. is a wild card at the nickelback position. The 26-year-old finished second on the Steelers with four interceptions as an undrafted rookie in 2024. However, he fell out of favor with the team and was cut ahead of the 2025 campaign. He didn't see any action last season as a result, but continued his ball-hawking ways (is that too much?) last week against Cleveland, intercepting two passes. Those were the two easiest ones he's had in his career (which probably makes it too much), but he still deserves some credit for coming down with them.

Bishop would already have his spot locked up on countless previous Bears' defenses, but the Bears have some solid depth in the secondary. Unfortunately, they also already have a few significant injuries there. I could see a scenario where that could lead them to keep one or two more defensive backs than normal. Bishop could be a major benefactor in that regard.

He'll be suspended for the first three games of the season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, but he has a chance to be the next man up if Cam Lewis and the perennially injured Kyler Gordon are both unavailable.

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