Bears Preseason Finale Winners and Losers: Tyson Bagent’s masterclass, Zavion Thomas shines, and players earn final roster spots
The Chicago Bears wrapped up the preseason slate with an exciting win over the Tennessee Titans. Here are the players that helped, or hurt, their stock going into roster cuts.
The Chicago Bears closed out the 2026 NFL preseason with a encouraging win over the Tennessee Titans on Saturday, and with roster cuts looming, several players made lasting impressions in the final audition before the 53-man roster deadline.
The majority of the starters did not play in this one, giving the bottom of the roster a chance to shine. With the Bears required to trim the roster down to 53 players by 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, the performances from this game carry significant weight heading into the regular season. Let’s break down our winners and losers.
Winner: Tyson Bagent delivers a masterclass at quarterback
Tyson Bagent is not going anywhere, unless a team ponies up for his services with a deal the Bears can’t refuse. The Bears backup quarterback put together an absolute masterclass against the Titans, completing 16 of 17 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. The stat line alone is impressive, but the way Bagent commanded Ben Johnson’s offense elevated this performance to another level.
Bagent converted multiple fourth downs, hung in the pocket under pressure, and kept his eyes downfield. On one of those fourth-down conversions, he took the easy completion rather than chasing the explosive play, which is exactly what the Bears coaching staff has been preaching to quarterback Caleb Williams. He also added a 21-yard run and a fadeaway touchdown pass to his outing.
If quarterback-needy teams come calling about Bagent, the Bears won’t part ways easily. The way he operates Johnson’s offense is remarkable. If Williams were to ever miss time, Chicago is in good hands with Bagent under center. He can run this offense at a high level and win regular-season games if his number is called.
Winner: Zavion Thomas announces himself with electric play-making ability across two phases
The third-round rookie missed time this preseason with a knee injury, but Zavion Thomas made sure there was no doubt about his status on this team today. In his first offensive snap of live action, Thomas ran a stop-and-go double move on the outside, hauled in the catch, and took it 73 yards after the catch for a 97-yard touchdown. The cornerback stood no chance, and the safety had no shot running him down the sideline.
Thomas did have one rookie mistake on a jet sweep where a misconnection on the handoff led to a fumble. That cannot happen in Johnson’s offense, and the coaching staff will address that with the rookie. Still, Thomas also ripped off a 39-yard punt return and a 22-yard kickoff return while finishing the game with five receptions for 140 yards.
Johnson showed the multiple ways he can get the ball in the hands of his rookie play-maker. When Thomas is on the field, defenses have to back up and be mindful of where he is. It’s similar to how the Bears used Luther Burden III early last season. Thomas will not be an every-down starter on offense, but when he’s out there, he’s out there for a reason, and Johnson will find a way to get him the ball.
Loser: Luke Newman is on shaky ground after a few penalty hiccups
Interior offensive lineman Luke Newman, last year’s sixth-round pick, had two holding penalties playing guard in this game. That is unacceptable when you’re fighting for a roster spot in the final preseason game. Making matters worse, both penalties came on the same drive.
The Bears already showed their hand last week when Jordan McFadden started at left guard with the first-team offense in place of veteran Joe Thuney. That tells you McFadden is viewed more favorably as a backup guard than Newman. Newman is competing against undrafted free agent rookie Caden Barnett for what could be the last spot in the offensive line room. Two false starts will not help him in that battle heading into roster cuts on Sunday, but we’ll see what decision is made.
Winner: Braxton Jones’ absence speaks volumes for the left tackle battle
Braxton Jones did not play in this game with the rest of the offensive starters. Which means, reading between the leaves, that he is your Week 1 starter at left tackle. While his performance last week was not his best, the coaching staff has clearly seen enough and didn’t want to see more on Saturday. Jones is the guy until Ozzy Trapilo can get healthy and push him later in the regular season.
As for Kiran Amegadjie, he started the game at left tackle with Theo Benedet at right tackle. I’m under the impression this will be Amegadjie’s last game with the Bears unless Ryan Poles convinces the staff to give him another shot to develop more on the practice squad.
Winner and loser: Terrell Smith reintroduces himself as Josh Blackwell struggles outside
Terrell Smith, the former fifth-round draft pick from 2023, might have been playing his last game as a Bear heading into this one. He made the most of it. Smith had two pass breakups, both on third down, with one that could have been an interception. The Bears needed depth to emerge at outside cornerback, and Smith’s performance is exactly what the coaching staff wanted to see. He should firmly make this roster now after showing what he can do when he’s healthy.
Josh Blackwell, on the other hand, confirmed that the experiment at outside corner is over. Blackwell got cooked on the first drive by Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate and was bailed out by a bad throw from quarterback Will Levis and a great play from first-round safety Dillon Thieneman, who showed off his speed to run the pass down. Blackwell added a face mask penalty before halftime as well. He will still make this roster because of what he can do in the slot and on special teams, but when it comes to the outside cornerback spot, Smith is the depth option the Bears should trust.
Winner: Jayden Loving and James Lynch have solid preseason showing, is it enough to earn a roster spot?
What the Bears do at the defensive tackle position leading up to the Sunday evening roster cut deadline will be something to watch. Primarily whether or not the Bears trade away Gervon Dexter Sr. and if they do, the Bears will still be in a good spot.
Rookie Jordan van den Berg has really impressed and can play significant snaps during the regular season mixing in with the three veterans in Grady Jarrett, Neville Gallimore, and Kentavius Street. Behind those four, Jayden Loving and James Lynch have also impressed this preseason and did so again on Saturday.
This is where numbers come into play. If Dexter isn’t moved, Lynch and Loving miss the 53-man cut. If he does get traded, one of those two could make the initial roster. At the very least, Loving is a player the Bears can keep on the practice squad and one I could easily see getting called up for a few games.
