3 Chicago Bears players who have made things complicated as the coaches sort out the initial 53-man roster
You can see how it’s a tough decision.
The Chicago Bears are in the middle of the most difficult part of the NFL schedule.
The time when all 32 times are required to trim the rosters down from 90 players to 53 players, thus creating the initial roster. So far, the Bears have made seven roster moves, including waiving six different players.
The deadline to reach the 53-man limit is Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. EST, and some of the toughest decisions are still ahead for the Bears’ coaching staff. Here are three players who have made things complicated when it comes to roster management.
WR Jahdae Walker
The undrafted rookie wide receiver has come a long way since the start of training camp. After initially having issues with running the correct routes, Walker quickly earned the serious trust of his coaches and teammates.
Quarterbacks Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum, especially, have expressed high praise for the play Walker showed both in practice and in the preseason.
In three games, Walker totaled eight receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns while also playing 18 snaps on special teams. Coach Ben Johnson even shouted Walker out for having an “outstanding” performance on the team’s final drive against the Kansas City Chiefs, when he had a clutch grab on the sideline along with the walk-off touchdown.
The problem lies in the Bears’ deep WR room in 2025. D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Luther Burden III are all roster locks, and even Devin Duvernay can take up a spot with his return specialties. Keeping six WRs isn’t a guarantee either, but if the team decides to carry that many, Walker certainly earned that final spot.
DL Daniel Hardy
After originally being a practice squad addition in 2023, defensive lineman Daniel Hardy has continued to improve with the Bears, even after moving positions from linebacker to the D-line. This time last year, Hardy made the cut as one of the 10 defensive linemen listed on the initial 53-man roster.
Now under a new staff, Hardy seemingly did everything in his power to earn a roster spot for the second year in a row, fresh off a “tremendous” game against Kansas City. In three preseason games, Hardy had eight tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble with 31 snaps on special teams, a unit in which he excelled playing for in 2024.
Four defensive ends are above Hardy on the presumed depth chart in Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker, and Dominique Robinson. The one thing that works out in Hardy’s favor is that Booker is expected to miss “a few weeks” due to a knee injury. If Booker is placed on the injured reserve with the option to return after Week 4, it could open a spot for someone like Hardy.
OT Kiran Amegadjie
The curious case of Kiran Amegadjie is still hanging over the heads of the front office and coaching staff in Chicago.
Amegadjie started the offseason in contention for the starting left tackle position. After suffering a leg injury that forced him to miss time in camp and the first preseason game, other players like Theo Benedet took advantage of the opportunity. Which, in turn, bumped Amegadjie down to the fifth offensive tackle, taking third-team reps at left tackle.
Unfortunately, I would have liked to see Amegadjie kick inside during the final preseason game to find out if he can bring value there before making cuts, but the coaches didn’t do that. Although, it’s worth noting that he played well against the Chiefs on Friday. All of which makes this a tough choice when deciding what to do with him.
He’s the kind of player that still needs a lot more time to develop, yet it’ll be tough to keep five offensive tackles on the initial roster. The only other option is waiving him and hoping another team doesn’t claim him, so he can return to the practice squad. Waiving a former third-rounder in Year 2 might not go over well with the front office, regardless of whether he makes it back or not.
Chicago Bears News
Chicago Bears Live Roster Cut Tracker: Latest moves made by Ben Johnson as the team looks to create the initial 53-man roster
Here’s which players have been released so far.
