With most Bears starters being held out of Thursday night's preseason finale in Kansas City, reserves will see expanded playing time against the Chiefs. Here are four to watch in the game:

Hardy has made the most of his opportunities to this point in the preseason, leading the NFL with 3.5 sacks and topping the Bears with 10 tackles.

"[Hardy's production] has really stood out," said defensive coordinator Eric Washington. "It has really stood out as far as what we're asking that position to do, especially from a rush standpoint. He's been extremely active. The energy has been high. He's gotten quality wins in critical situations, and his effort has been phenomenal. Everything we start [with] from an evaluation standpoint starts with hustle, and I don't know anybody that has stood out as much as he has."

Selected by the Rams in the seventh round of the 2022 draft out of Montana State, Hardy appeared in six games as a rookie, playing 41 snaps on defense and 128 on special teams. He then spent last season on the Bears practice squad.

Another strong performance against the Chiefs could earn Hardy not only a roster spot but also a place in the Bears' regular defensive line rotation.

The 2022 fifth-round pick from Miami (Ohio) hopes to make more plays like the one he produced in a preseason win Aug. 10 over the Bills. Early in that game in Buffalo, Robinson teamed up with defensive end DeMarcus Walker to drop running back James Cook for a two-yard loss on third-and-2, forcing a punt.

Robinson recently told reporters that he arrived at training camp weighing 273 pounds with 8% body fat after adding 15 pounds of muscle, saying: "It just helped me become a better football player overall."

Robinson is locked in a depth chart battle at defensive end with Hardy, rookie fifth-round pick Austin Booker and four-year veteran Khalid Kareem behind veterans Montez Sweat and Walker.

In two seasons with the Bears, Robinson has played in 28 games with seven starts, recording 42 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, three quarterback hits and 2.0 sacks.

The Bears are deep and talented at tight end, with veterans Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett and Marcedes Lewis ahead of Sweeney on the depth chart. But the sixth-year pro has excelled as a blocker and receiver during the preseason, catching a team-leading six passes for 75 yards and one touchdown.

Sweeney was selected by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2019 draft out of Boston College. He played in 24 games with four starts for Buffalo in 2019 and 2021-22, catching 18 passes for 165 yards and one TD. He sat out the 2020 season after developing myocarditis as a result of having COVID-19.

Sweeney signed with the Giants last year but was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list after collapsing during a training camp practice as a result of a medical event.

The Bears spent the 122nd pick in the fourth round of this year's draft on punter Tory Taylor, the highest a punter has been picked since the 49ers chose Mitch Wishnowsky at No.110 in 2019. But Taylor isn't the only talented punter on the Bears roster.

Waitman, who has averaged 46.9 yards on 103 punts in two NFL seasons with the Steelers (2021) and Broncos (2022), has also impressed this summer. He has posted a 44.7-yard gross average and a 40.7-net average in preseason action and no doubt will get another chance to prove himself in Kansas City.

Waitman also spent time with the Raiders (2021) and Patriots (2021 and 2023) without appearing in a regular season game.