Bear Digest

5 Chicago Bears players who boosted their roster chances vs. Dolphins

Week 1 of the 2025 NFL preseason is in the books, and these five Chicago Bears players improved their chances of making the final roster.
Bryan Perez|
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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The Chicago Bears' first preseason game of 2025 ended in a 24-24 tie with the Miami Dolphins. Frustrating, sure. But at the end of the day, the purpose of the NFL's preseason games is for teams to evaluate their rosters in an effort to land on the ideal final 53-man roster.

The Bears are still several weeks away from identifying who those 53 guys will be, but Week 1's game against the Dolphins helped strengthen the case for some guys on the roster bubble.

Here's which Chicago Bears players' roster chances improved after Week 1's preseason tie against the Dolphins.

Ian Wheeler, RB

Wheeler is quickly becoming one of the Chicago Bears' feel-good stories for 2025. After tearing his ACL last summer, the Bears retained the former Howard standout and future medical doctor to rehab with the team. He rewarded GM Ryan Poles with a strong first showing in the preseason that should've included an impressive touchdown run if it wasn't for a penalty.

Wheeler is a name to continue monitoring as the 2025 preseason unfolds.

Kyle Monangai, RB

While most Bears fans have assumed Monangai is a lock to make the roster, the reality is that the former Rutgers star was a seventh-round pick. Those guys are rarely locks of any sort, so it's critically important that he perform when his number is called.

Monangai did just that against Dolphins, carrying the ball six times for a team-high 30 yards. While he still needs to work on his pass protection, his upside as a runner is way too high to let go.

Jahdae Walker, WR

Walker looked like the most impressive receiver on the Bears, and there's no doubt he has the coolest touchdown celebration.

Walker finished the game with three catches for a team-best 41yards and that score. At 6-foot-3 with good speed, Walker looks the part of a depth, developmental wideout with upside.

Zacch Pickens, DL

Pickens, a former third-round pick of the 2023 NFL draft, was a popular name in most of the Bears' projected roster cuts at the start of training camp. And while he still has a long way to go before making the team, he flashed the type of penetrating traits against the Dolphins that made him an intriguing draft prospect.

Pickens finished with one sack and three tackles. His sack is noteworthy, considering he only has 1.5 career sacks over his first two seasons.

Theo Benedet, OT

Benedet rotated with Ozzy Trapilo and Braxton Jones at left tackle and appears to have put his name into a competition for a starting gig. Perhaps his snap count has gone up because of Kiran Amegadjie's injury. But even if that's the case, it's hard to find solid backup offensive tackles. Benedet is progressing in that direction.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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