With Chicago’s second preseason game in the books, the Bears’ roster picture is getting a lot sharper - and a few players are watching their chances fade fast after the loss to Cincinnati.
Kaden Davis was one of the early camp standouts, and he even flashed in preseason with a big catch. But this time, the momentum went nowhere.
Davis muffed a punt and didn’t register a catch in the passing game, while Scotty Miller finished with 18 yards on two receptions. For a player who needed a near-perfect preseason to force his way onto the roster, this was the kind of night that makes the path look a lot steeper.
Kiran Amegadjie didn’t help his case either. None of the Bears’ starting left tackle options separated themselves this week, but Amegadjie was fourth in line in the rotation and got his work against rookie UDFA Mason Murphy.
Even with that favorable setup, he still had trouble and was flagged for a penalty. Right now, he looks buried near the bottom of the group.
Daniel Hardy’s stock has also taken a hit. He came into camp with a real chance to carve out a roster spot on the edge, but the last two weeks haven’t gone his way.
Jamree Kromah has outplayed him in back-to-back preseason games, racking up eight pressures to Hardy’s two. On top of that, the Bears signed Marcus Davenport in free agency.
Davenport didn’t play in the preseason, but he likely sits ahead of Hardy anyway. Hardy has been passed by two names, and that’s a bad sign for his roster hopes.
Brittain Brown has slipped out of the running for the third running back job. That competition began as a four-man race, but Chicago’s release of Coleman Bennett narrowed it to three.
After the second preseason game, it looks even tighter, with Roschon Johnson and Salvon Ahmed now appearing to be the main contenders. Brown has carried the ball eight times for just 11 yards and hasn’t seen much work on special teams, which leaves him on the outside looking in.
Zavion Thomas may be in the toughest spot of all. Injury has slowed him down, and the rookie still hasn’t shown enough when he has been available.
The Bears had plans for his role, and his return skills were supposed to matter right away. But Kaliff Raymond now appears to have both the number three receiver job and the return duties locked up.
At this point, Thomas looks like a Week 1 inactive.
In Other News...
Bears Preseason Reality Check Exposed Familiar Problems Fans Know Too Well
The Bears second preseason game served up a familiar summer refrain in a 27-9 loss to the Bengals, with the offense settling for three field goals and leaving another chance on the table. For a team trying to look cleaner and sharper than it has in recent Augusts, the flat finish came with the same old reminders: drives that bogged down, plays that never fully developed, and a general sense that the operation still has work to do.
Chicago also came away with more questions than it would like on defense, where the secondary and pass rush both had trouble making consistent impact. Caleb Williams, Dayo Odeyingbo, Sam Roush, Dontae Manning and several others flashed at times, but the overall picture was mixed enough to keep the attention on how the roster pieces fit together rather than on any one standout performance. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Have An Early Cairo Santos Decision They Can't Ignore
Cairo Santos has gotten plenty of early work in the Bears first two preseason games, and the results have been mixed enough to keep the kicking competition on the radar. He has connected on five of seven field-goal tries, with both misses coming from 50 yards or more, a small sample that still matters for a player whose job is built on consistency and trust.
Santos has been steady enough at times to remain the incumbent, but his accuracy has trended down over the past two seasons compared with his earlier run in Chicago. If that kind of unevenness carries into the rest of the preseason, the Bears may have little choice but to bring in another leg and make the position a real battle. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Bubble Players Just Made Final Roster Cuts A Lot Tougher
The Bears left their second preseason game against the Bengals with a few more names making a real case for themselves, and that is exactly the kind of problem a coaching staff wants this time of year. Salvon Ahmed did a little bit of everything, showing up as a runner, a pass catcher and in protection while also contributing on special teams, while Malik Muhammad has looked steady as he continues his move into the slot. Kentavius Street kept working as a backup on the defensive line, giving Chicago more competent depth in a position group where every rep matters.
The pressure is building elsewhere too, especially on the edge, where Jamree Kromah has been outplaying some of the players around him for a roster spot. Two rookies, Skyler Thomas and Jordan van den Berg, have also shown enough to stay in the conversation as the Bears sort through the back end of the roster. With final cuts approaching, the competition is starting to feel less like a formality and more like a real test of who has done enough to stick. [Read more 🡒]