5 Chicago Bears Who Won't Be on the Roster by Week 1

Every NFL team has to make a few tough decisions when it comes time to cut down their roster ahead of the regular season. That becomes especially true when a team has reached contender status, as both the stakes and talent on the roster are raised.

A team in the midst of a rebuild often puts more stock into the future when it comes to the players on the roster bubble. They wouldn't even consider cutting a semi-highly drafted player from a year ago, and often take gambles on players with higher upside than proven commodities.

With the Bears coming off their best season in 15 years, they've reached contender status. That is reflected in the amount of depth they have at their disposal across (almost) their entire roster.

A few solid players (and a handful more highly-drafted ones) might be on the outside looking in when it comes to cutting down their roster as a result.

Kiran Amegadjie

Kiran Amegadjie has been an utter disappointment since the Bears drafted him in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He has one career start and a grand total of 125 career offensive snaps under his belt through his first two seasons.

He was momentarily involved in the left tackle competition last training camp, but never seemed to be in serious consideration for the job after failing to show any improvement from a disappointing rookie year. With them adding an influx of talent to the offensive line over the past two offseasons, it seems like a logical time to cut ties with one of Ryan Poles' biggest draft misses. He and Jedrick Wills Jr. are going to be battling for one roster spot, and I think they'll go with the veteran.

Scotty Miller

Scotty Miller fits the billing of the type of player that could stick around on a contender. The 28-year-old doesn't bring much in terms of upside, but he's solid depth who can hold his own in a pinch. He's also one of only two receivers who have more than two years under their belt in a young receiver room.

With that said, the roster cut-down conversation is a numbers game. The Bears have solid depth at the receiver position, and they would have to keep six receivers for Miller to make the cut. While they kept six last year, that was largely due to Jahdae Walker having a preseason performance for the ages against the Chiefs (and the added value he brought as a gunner on special teams). With Walker filling the gunner role nicely, and both Zavion Thomas and Kalif Raymond as the kick returners, I don't think he'll have much of an opportunity to show his worth there.

James Lynch

Defensive tackle James Lynch is in a similar position to Miller as a veteran who provides solid depth. He'd normally be a player that it would make sense to keep around, as he can provide a stabilizing force as a backup on the interior. However, the Bears signed both Lynch and Kentavius Street to fill similar roles in the offseason, and I think the latter will have a slight edge if they're fighting for one roster spot.

I know Jordan van den Berg struggled at minicamp, but they're big believers in his talent. He might be a raw sixth-round selection, but he's a raw sixth-round selection that they traded their final two draft picks to get. His upside is much higher than that of a normal late day-three pick. Undrafted free agent Jayden Loving could also stick around with a strong performance in training camp. They might not have any high-end starters at the position, but their depth could significantly hurt Lynch's chances of sticking around.

Ruben Hyppolite II

Ruben Hyppolite chasing down Patrick Mahomes — Aug 22, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) runs the ball against Chicago Bears linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II (47) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Ruben Hyppolite II could be in serious trouble. The team clearly wanted to improve their depth at linebacker this offseason, as they added talented players through both free agency and the draft. You have to think that they expected more from last year's fourth-round selection, who played only 31 defensive snaps and looked like a fish out of water in just about every one of them. It's unfortunate, because the injuries to their linebacker room gave him an opportunity around midseason, and that same opportunity exists if he can show improvement in 2026.

Teams rarely cut fourth-round picks one year after they were drafted. However, the Bears' coaching staff clearly has no intention of slowing down so Hyppolite can catch up. He'll have to show great improvement if he wants to beat out Jack Sanborn (who has a big edge in the special teams department) for the last linebacker spot.

Roschon Johnson

Roschon Johnson has largely been spared from the dreaded "draft bust" conversations that surround a few of the other players on this list. Maybe that's because he was such a popular selection when the team drafted him, or maybe it's because he's managed to stick around longer than Tyler Scott, whom they selected 18 picks later.

Still, it would be an understatement to say that he's been anything less than a massive disappointment. Many thought that he had the potential to become everything Kyle Monangai turned into last season. Instead, he's become a back-of-the-roster player who has only managed to stick around for the value he brings on special teams. I think Brittain Brown, who flashed potential and played 11 more offensive snaps than Johnson (and looked good while he was at it) despite being on the practice squad, could steal his roster spot when it's all said and done.

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