The Bears reached the NFL's mandatory 53-man roster limit Tuesday by waiving 24 players, terminating the contracts of six vested veterans, placing receiver Isaiah Ford on injured reserve and waiving/injured running back Trestan Ebner.
The following players were waived:
- Micah Baskerville, linebacker
- Travis Bell, defensive tackle
- Robert Burns, fullback
- Stephen Carlson, tight end
- Macon Clark, cornerback
- Kellen Diesch, tackle
- Dieter Eiselen, guard
- DeMarquis Gates, linebacker
- Trevis Gipson, defensive end
- Jalen Harris, defensive end
- Bobby Haskins, tackle
- D'Anthony Jones, defensive end
- Josh Lugg, guard
- Roy Mbaeteka, tackle
- Michael Ojemudia, cornerback
- Lachlan Pitts, tight end
- Bravvion Roy, defensive tackle
- Logan Stenberg, guard
- Davion Taylor, linebacker
- Bralen Trahan, safety
- Kindle Vildor, cornerback
- Barrington Wade, linebacker
- Mykal Walker, linebacker
- Kendall Williamson, safety
The following vested veterans (players with at least four accrued NFL seasons) had their contracts terminated and become free agents, able to sign with the team of their choice:
- Andrew Brown, defensive tackle
- Aviante Collins, tackle
- Daurice Fountain, receiver
- Nathan Peterman, quarterback
- Greg Stroman Jr., cornerback
- Nsimba Webster, receiver
On Wednesday, the Bears can establish a 16-man practice squad, with six of those players having unlimited NFL experience, and also claim players who have been waived by other NFL teams. The Bears are first in the waiver order among NFL teams based on their 2022 records.
NFL clubs typically stock their practice squads with players they waived during final cuts, so several of the players trimmed from the Bears roster Tuesday could be re-signed to the practice squad.
The Bears kept two quarterbacks on their roster in Justin Fields and Tyson Bagent; four running backs in D'Onta Foreman, Khalil Herbert, Travis Homer and Roschon Johnson; and one fullback in Khari Blasingame.
They kept three tight ends in Cole Kmet, Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan; and nine offensive linemen in center/guards Lucas Patrick and Cody Whitehair; center Doug Kramer; guards Nate Davis, Teven Jenkins and Ja'Tyre Carter; and tackles Larry Borom, Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright.
The Bears kept six receivers: Chase Claypool, Velus Jones Jr., Darnell Mooney, DJ Moore, Equanimeous St. Brown and Tyler Scott.
Nine defensive linemen earned roster spots in ends Rasheem Green, Terrell Lewis, Yannick Ngakoue, Dominique Robinson and DeMarcus Walker; and tackles Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter Sr., Justin Jones and Zacch Pickens.
Linebackers who made the 53-man roster were Dylan Cole, Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Jack Sanborn and Noah Sewell.
The Bears kept 10 defensive backs in cornerbacks in Josh Blackwell, Kyler Gordon, Jaylon Johnson, Jaylon Jones, Terell Smith and Tyrique Stevenson; and safeties Jaquan Brisker, Elijah Hicks, Eddie Jackson and A.J. Thomas.
Their three specialists are kicker Cairo Santos, punter Trenton Gill and long-snapper Patrick Scales.
Seventeen of the 21 players selected in Ryan Poles' first two draft classes as Bears general manager earned roster spots. That includes eight of this year's 10 picks, with the only two exceptions being the final two choices, Bell and Williamson.
Eight of the players released Tuesday appeared in regular season games for the Bears last year: Ebner (17), Gipson (17), Eiselen (11), Vildor (11) Gates (3), Peterman (3), Stroman Jr. (2) and Webster (2).
The roster moves the Bears made Tuesday actually reduced their roster to 52. They filled the final spot later Tuesday by acquiring center/guard Dan Feeney from the Dolphins in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick. Here's how the 53-man roster stands now by position (in alphabetical order):
- Quarterbacks (2): Tyson Bagent, Justin Fields.
- Running backs (4): D'Onta Foreman, Khalil Herbert, Travis Homer, Roschon Johnson.
- Fullbacks (1): Khari Blasingame.
- Receivers (6): Chase Claypool, Velus Jones Jr., Darnell Mooney, DJ Moore, Equanimeous St. Brown, Tyler Scott.
- Tight ends (3): Cole Kmet, Marcedes Lewis, Robert Tonyan.
- Offensive linemen (10): Larry Borom, Ja'Tyre Carter, Nate Davis, Dan Feeney, Teven Jenkins, Braxton Jones, Doug Kramer, Lucas Patrick, Cody Whitehair, Darnell Wright.
- Defensive linemen (9): Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter Sr., Rasheem Green, Justin Jones, Terrell Lewis, Yannick Ngakoue, Zacch Pickens, Dominique Robinson, DeMarcus Walker.
- Linebackers (5): Dylan Cole Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Jack Sanborn, Noah Sewell.
- Cornerbacks (6): Josh Blackwell, Kyler Gordon, Jaylon Johnson, Jaylon Jones, Terell Smith, Tyrique Stevenson.
- Safeties (4): Jaquan Brisker, Elijah Hicks, Eddie Jackson, A.J. Thomas.
- Specialists (3): Trenton Gill, Cairo Santos, Patrick Scales.
Take a look at the players on the Bears' initial active roster for the 2023 season. (As of Aug. 29, 2023)
QB Justin Fields | #1
WR DJ Moore | #2
DB Eddie Jackson | #4
DB Kyler Gordon | #6
K Cairo Santos | #8
DB Jaquan Brisker | #9
WR Chase Claypool | #10
WR Darnell Mooney | #11
WR Velus Jones Jr. | #12
WR Tyler Scott | #13
P Trenton Gill | #16
QB Tyson Bagent | #17
TE Robert Tonyan | #18
WR Equanimeous St. Brown | #19
RB Travis Homer | #20
RB D'Onta Foreman | #21
RB Khalil Herbert | #24
DB Tyrique Stevenson | #29
RB Roschon Johnson | #30
DB Jaylon Jones | #31
DB Terell Smith | #32
DB Jaylon Johnson | #33
FB Khari Blasingame | #35
DB Elijah Hicks | #37
DB Josh Blackwell | #39
LB Noah Sewell | #44
LS Patrick Scales | #48
LB Tremaine Edmunds | #49
LB T.J. Edwards | #53
LB Dylan Cole | #55
LB Jack Sanborn | #57
OL Darnell Wright | #58
OL Lucas Patrick | #62
OL Nate Davis | #64
OL Cody Whitehair | #65
OL Dan Feeney | #67
OL Doug Kramer | #68
OL Ja'Tyre Carter | #69
OL Braxton Jones | #70
OL Larry Borom | #75
OL Teven Jenkins | #76
TE Marcedes Lewis | #84
TE Cole Kmet | #85
DL Dominique Robinson | #90
DL Yannick Ngakoue | #91
DL Justin Jones | #93
DL Rasheem Green | #94
DL DeMarcus Walker | #95
DL Zacch Pickens | #96
DL Andrew Billings | #97
DL Gervon Dexter Sr. | #98
