1️⃣6️⃣ Days Until the Season Opener!
Good morning, Bears fans!
I’m planning on rolling out a few surprises as the season nears, so let’s start with this one: Bears By 7 is now on YouTube!
Yep, I’m teaming up with my friend Ryan Droste of Windy City Gridiron all season long to talk Bears and have some fun doing it.
We’re both looking forward to playing around with the format and bringing something different to the Bears podcasting scene. First episode drops next week, but we’d be obliged if you gave us a follow today.
We’re also already on all major podcast platforms if audio is your thing.
Headlines
Preseason Finale With Titans On Tap Kickoff is set for 5 pm on Saturday down in Nashville. Ben Johnson says he’s still deciding how much we’ll see of the starters and Caleb Williams says he expects to find out today after an impressive joint practice effort on Thursday. The starters played the entire first half of last year’s preseason finale in Kansas City if you’re looking for precedent.
Austin Booker and Gervon Dexter both out Dexter didn’t make the trip to Tennessee with a hamstring injury and Johnson said Booker is “week-to-week” with a groin. Discouraging news from a duo the team really needs to level up in 2026. (Sun-Times)
Roger Goodell: Illinois still in mix The NFL commish confirmed his conversations with Illinois lawmakers earlier this month and Governor JB Pritzker later said he was in those talks. Goodell said there is “no specific timetable” when it comes to a new Bears stadium. You don’t say. (NBC Chicago)
Josh Jacobs formally charged The Packers star RB is facing two misdemeanor charges tied to a fight in which Jacobs allegedly threw his girlfriend down to the ground in his garage earlier this year. The police report states a portion of the incident was caught on surveillance cameras. (ESPN)
Who Makes The Cut?
It’s going to be a busy weekend for Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles.
After playing in Tennessee on Saturday night, the Bears’ leaders must pack up, fly home, watch the tape and then get the roster down to 53 men from the 88 currently active players.
All by 5 p.m. on Sunday night.
Special teams coach Richard Hightower calls it “the worst day in the National Football League,” but it’s a necessary evil and a sign the season is almost here.
While most of the spots have long been filled in with ink, there are still a few pencil entries eligible for revision after performances (or injuries) in Saturday’s game. There are also still 16 spots on the practice squad for players who pass through waivers.
Five big questions we still have:
Who takes the RB3 spot? We’ve been talking about this for weeks: Roschon Johnson or Salvon Ahmed? Both runners have turned in some good tape over the first two preseason games. As Kacper Rajwa writes on Bears By 7, Kyle Monangai’s health will likely play a big role in the decision. Johnson’s quest to stay at Halas Hall for a fourth season lies in his physical nature and value on special teams while the newcomer Ahmed might pique Johnson’s playcalling interest a bit more with his passcatching and open field abilities.
Kiran Amegadjie or Jedrick Wills? Neither tackle has come close to answering any questions or inspiring any confidence in training camp or preseason games, but the Bears will likely keep one. Poles hasn’t been afraid of cutting bait on missed draft picks after their second season (Zacch Pickens, Tyler Scott), so Amegadjie’s third-round status guarantees him nothing. A free agent acquisition would seal the fate of both.
What’s up with the defensive line? This isn’t a specific player battle, but Austin Booker is battling a groin injury and Gervon Dexter is nursing a hamstring while also drawing trade speculation. Someone like Jamree Kromah or Jayden Loving is probably still on the outside looking in, but the situation, as they say, remains fluid.
Does Kaden Davis make the team as WR6? It seems like it’s been a foregone conclusion the UFL star and training camp highlight reel will get a chance to perform when it matters this fall. But as Pat Finley of the Sun-Times notes, he’ll also have to provide some upside on special teams to justify the spot.
Is there room for a fourth tight end? The top three of Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet and Sam Roush might be the best tight end room in the league. Could Stephen Carlson or Hayden Large make it a quartet? I think there are too many questions elsewhere to justify the luxury at this point, though Carlson has been a respected presence at Halas Hall and Large was a staff favorite during the pre-draft process. Keeping a fourth might be a tell that Johnson is planning on getting hot and heavy with that 13 personnel all season long.
Quotable
“I just joked around with the team a couple of days ago that I don’t even know what his voice sounds like. He just comes into work and gets after it.”
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