The disappointment is immeasurable, as the famous meme says. Cornerback Kyler Gordon didn’t practice in the spring. He didn’t practice in the summer and then didn’t play in the preseason. Fans held out hope the Chicago Bears might at least have him for opening day. That crashed and burned as Gordon was never activated off the Physically-Unable to-Perform list. That means he will miss at least the first four games of 2026, pushing his total to 18 in the past two seasons. It is crystal clear at this point that the organization is losing patience with him.

If you weren’t sure how much, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune just hammered it home. While cutting Gordon is next to impossible because of the salary cap ramifications, odds are growing that he may find himself on the bench even if he returns at some point.

It’s to the point that over the next 24 hours, nothing would surprise me with Gordon. I rather doubt the team would choose the nuclear option and release him. Such a move would have serious salary-cap ramifications for a team that is tight as it is. There’s no way to trade a player with a guaranteed salary of $10 million who hasn’t been on the field since January.

There’s also nothing that convinces me Gordon will for certain play football for the Bears this season. Johnson won’t give more than one- or two-word replies when asked about him. Teammates have described Gordon’s situation as “bizarre.”

This isn’t really a surprise. Head coach Ben Johnson has said he wants players he trusts on the field. Gordon has done nothing to earn the Bears’ trust since he took over last year. The team already made moves to shore up the nickel position with Cam Lewis and rookie Malik Muhammad. If Gordon is content to do nothing, he can keep doing so even after he returns.

Kyler Gordon might be undergoing the fastest fall from grace.

Think about it. In August of 2025, things were riding high. The cornerback had just received a massive contract extension from the team. It was confirmation that he was considered one of the best nickels in football. In a span of 12 months, he went from that to persona non grata. Fans have already turned on him, long tired of the growing list of injuries that shouldn’t plague modern athletes. Not with the vast array of resources at their disposal to aid recovery. This either means Gordon is incredibly brittle or incredibly unmotivated to return.

If you follow the breadcrumbs around Halas Hall, it sounds like plenty of people think it’s the latter. Adam Hoge recently compared it to the Nate Davis situation a couple of years ago. The guy always had something going on, and the Bears eventually got fed up. They cut him in 2024, and he hasn’t played a down in the NFL since. Has Kyler Gordon lost his desire to play after getting that massive guaranteed payday? It wouldn’t be the first time such a thing has happened.

This entire situation is an indictment of Ryan Poles.

The Bears’ GM has invested plenty of resources into the defense since arriving in 2022. Most of the biggest ones have looked pretty bad.

Not a great look at all. It is a major reason the team hadn’t achieved much until last season, and that was mostly due to the offense. Gordon was Poles’ first pick. He was pretty solid for a stretch during his first three seasons, but it’s apparent that player is long gone. Poles was the one who decided to hand him an extension rather than wait it out one more season. Now the Bears are stuck with it.

The Chicago Bears completed their final roster cuts on Sunday afternoon. However, as we all know, the process isn’t done yet. Usually, the team makes two or three tweaks in the following days, either by waiver wire claims or free agent additions. There are reasons to think that trend will continue this year. Head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles still have some areas they can afford to shore up. When taking a glance across the NFL, there were some interesting names that got unloaded by other teams.

Here are some that should interest the Bears for various reasons. They have until Monday afternoon to put in a claim for any of them.

The Chicago Bears have some intriguing options out there.

RB Jaydon Blue

Salvon Ahmed’s exit was a surprise to many. It felt like he outplayed Roschon Johnson throughout the preseason. So, for him to get cut was either an indication that Johnson was always safe or the Bears might be looking for an outside option. Blue didn’t pan out in Dallas, but he still has lots of intriguing talent. His 4.38 speed would be something head coach Ben Johnson is immediately drawn to. He always hunts explosive plays. The key is whether the next coaching staff can teach Blue how to play smarter, which was a big problem in college and Dallas.

WR Greg Dortch

Having been in Arizona most of his career, it’s been easy to overlook Dortch. He was never a primary weapon for the Cardinals, but the receiver carved out a role as a quality reserve who could give you 25-30 catches per year and also serve as a reliable punt returner. His 11.6 yards per return last season was his career-best. The Chicago Bears have typically preferred stashing versatile options like that at the bottom of their depth chart, which may be why they chose to cut training camp standout, Kaden Davis. Dortch would give him much more flexibility.

DT Kris Jenkins Jr.

The trade for Dexter Lawrence by Cincinnati was a quiet death blow for the former 2nd round pick. Jenkins actually showed progress last season with 18 quarterback pressures and 18 run stops as a rotational guy for the Bengals. Alas, he never took the big step they wanted. Still, he’s a smart player with a great motor. He had his best game last season against the Bears with 5 pressures on Caleb Williams. There is untapped potential there. Playing for the Bears would ease the burden on his shoulders. If nothing else, he would be an excellent depth option after shipping out Gervon Dexter to Atlanta.

CB Sean Murphy-Bunting

Cornerback depth has become a major concern for the Bears after it became clear Kyler Gordon would miss the first month of the season (at least). That is why they traded for Clark Phillips from Atlanta. Is that enough? While he gives them a nice young piece to develop, he doesn’t bring a ton of experience. Murphy-Bunting has started 65 games in his career, including 13 for the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. He had three interceptions last season for the Arizona Cardinals. At age 29, he can still play. If this guy is the 4th or 5th cornerback in your lineup, you’re in a pretty good spot.

K Blake Grupe*

The Bears have enjoyed remarkable stability at kicker since Cairo Santos arrived years ago. That said, he turns 35 years old this year. There is no telling how much longer he’ll maintain his consistency. Last season, the Bears wisely stashed a younger kicker on the practice squad. Jake Moody won them a big game in Washington. Grupe was excellent in the preseason for Indianapolis and reportedly has enough leg to hit from 60 yards. Distance has been a constant sore spot for Santos throughout his career. Having that option close by is never a bad thing for a team that tends to be in a lot of close games.

Wide receiver Zavion Thomas was a mystery to Chicago Bears fans. All they’d heard was that he looked great in practice since spring. However, he hadn’t suited up for either of the team’s first two preseason games due to injuries. That finally changed in the finale against the Tennessee Titans. Head coach Ben Johnson planned to give the 3rd round pick some snaps, knowing the receiver needed the reps. After the defense forced a punt to open the game, the Bears found themselves backed up to their own 3-yard line on their first drive. Not an ideal situation.

Still, Johnson decided to roll the dice. Rather than run the ball to create space, he dialed up a deep shot to Thomas. Tyson Bagent took the snap and, despite pressure, fired the ball down the field. Thomas ran a nasty double move, faking cornerback Keydrain Calligan right out of his cleats. He caught the pass and raced to a 97-yard touchdown. It was easily the biggest highlight of the preseason’s final day and a fitting reminder of why the Bears drafted Thomas.

What nobody knew at the time was that Calligan was actually mic’d up for that moment. His reaction to the play was equal parts astonishment and honesty.

“Oh…What the f**k? Had me looking stupid, bro. My leg almost broke!”

Zavion Thomas may have the best highlight of the season.

That is wild to say, considering how early it is. Even so, the circumstances must be taken into account. It was his first official snap in the NFL and went for what may end up being the longest touchdown of the year. Now you add that mic’d-up clip on top of it, and the sheer entertainment value will be hard to top. Thomas finished with 140 yards receiving for the game, and added a 39-yard punt return as an exclamation point. Backup competition or not, it is hard to argue that the young receiver has talent.

The scary part is he isn’t even required to be heavily involved in this offense. Chicago already has an assortment of weapons led by Colston Loveland, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and D’Andre Swift. Don’t forget Kalif Raymond and Jahdae Walker as well. Johnson can bring the rookie in whenever the situation feels perfect. His versatility as a vertical threat and return man will allow the Bears coach to crack a massive package of plays tailor-made to those abilities. All without having to deal with a full workload, meaning he’ll be fresh.

It was a proof of concept.

Plenty of critics felt Zavion Thomas was way too much of a project to justify taking in the 3rd round. Johnson disagreed. He saw a player with rare speed who was a much more polished player than his stats made him seem. That double move might not be high on the difficulty scale, but the rookie still ran it beautifully. The cornerback had no prayer. Some are already saying he has the look of Devin Hester, but with a greater affinity for receiving. That might be overexaggerating, but there’s no reason to think he can’t be another Darnell Mooney.

What remains unknown is how much he’ll be deployed this season. There are only so many touches to go around. Johnson has said his biggest problem is keeping everybody on the offense fed. Thomas only adds to that challenge. He may slot into the Olamide Zaccheaus role from last season. Maybe fewer than the 60 targets the former veteran got. Then again, if Thomas makes things happen as he did in Nashville, the Bears won’t hesitate to get him more involved.

Trading Gervon Dexter was a shock to many, from fans to the media. Why ship out a guy who was second on the team in sacks last season with 6? The explanation is a complex one. Dexter had only one year left on his contract. It was pretty evident the team had no plans to bring him back. Do they ride it out another year and hope to get a compensatory pick later, or flip elsewhere for decent draft capital now? They chose the latter. However, the simplest explanation is often the best one. The primary reason the Chicago Bears felt comfortable moving on from Dexter was the rise of Jordan Van Den Berg.

Nobody expected anything from the 6th round pick out of Georgia Tech. Why would they? He’s a 6th round pick who had one good season of production in college. He’d failed to carve out a role at Penn State after three years, forcing him to transfer elsewhere. Yet the Bears saw someone with elite athletic traits and the power to match them. If that potential could be honed to a sharp edge, he had the makings of a major hidden gem. After three preseason games, 53 snaps, and 7 quarterback pressures, it’s plainly evident they got something.

Jordan Van Den Berg is such an anomaly.

You have to understand the circumstances. Finding good players in the late rounds of a draft is always rare. Finding good defensive linemen is almost impossible. More specifically, good interior pass rushers. You can get away with unearthing a solid nose tackle in that range, but NFL teams are so desperate to find interior rushers that anybody with a lick of talent is often gone by the 5th round at the latest. Van Den Berg’s unique circumstances somehow allowed him to slip through the cracks.

We already mentioned his quiet tenure at Penn State. He’s also 24 years old, which is on the older side for draft prospects. Then you must remember he is a South African native with a rugby background. Players like that haven’t had much success transitioning to American football at any meaningful level. Combine all of those factors, and it becomes easier to understand why Jordan Van Den Berg didn’t generate much buzz. That didn’t deter the Bears, who traded up from the 7th round to get him.

The Bears are taking a rather sizable risk.

Of the five defensive tackles they kept, two of them are rookies. One is Van Den Berg and the other is undrafted free agent Jayden Loving. Both were terrific in the preseason. Still, an important part of your depth chart in the hands of such inexperienced players is a gamble. That tells you how much the Bears coaching staff likes both players. It is worth noting that expectations are that Chicago will bring back veteran James Lynch in the next day or two after Injured Reserve moves process. That should mitigate the concerns.

The bigger question is how the Bears will deploy this lineup. Is it possible that Van Den Berg could be a starter? It may sound crazy, but it’s not. Grady Jarrett doesn’t offer much interior pass rush these days. Still, he’s a good run defender. That means he could play nose tackle. This leaves the choice between Van Den Berg and Neville Gallimore for the three-technique spot. Gallimore has the experience advantage, but the rookie has the talent. He’s played so well this past month. Coaches may just decide the growing pains are worth it just to have him out there.

Final roster cuts are on the way. The Chicago Bears are now on the approach to the 2026 NFL season. Even as fans and the media focus on this long-anticipated reality, the organization has also begun preparing for 2027. That means getting started on draft evaluations. Now so much can change in the next several months. Certain players may decide to stay in school. They could get hurt, which would impact their initial draft stock. Also, the Bears’ roster priorities could change depending on who performs well in the upcoming season.

That said, people close to the organization have informed Sports Mockery that the team already has two notable players in mind for next spring. Both of them, unsurprisingly, are edge rushers. The first is South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart, a quick and athletic 6’6″ player coming off a strong season where he finished with 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles for a loss. The other is Colin Simmons, an undersized but deceptively strong demon who’s tortured SEC tackles for two years, with 21 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss.

The Chicago Bears clearly understand where things stand.

No matter what they say publicly, their defensive line situation is in flux. They just traded Gervon Dexter to Atlanta. Their edge-rusher position is a giant question mark outside of Montez Sweat, who is now in his 30s. Austin Booker hasn’t played a full season healthy. Dayo Odeyingbo is coming off a torn Achilles. Shemar Turner still hasn’t returned from a torn ACL. The Bears have no definitive young option at arguably the most important position on the team behind the quarterback.

That has to change if they’re going to get the defense up to a level that can match their offense. Chicago hasn’t selected an edge rusher in the 1st round since Leonard Floyd in 2016. That decade-long span is the longest in franchise history. Thankfully, Stewart and Simmons appear to be part of a strong 2027 class. With some luck and good evaluation, this problem may finally be solved. That is why the Chicago Bears are getting an early start in the process. They want as much information as possible.

Will the Bears actually go this route?

Some fans have become skeptical of how devoted this regime is to the defensive line. Poles has never selected one in the 1st round during his tenure as GM. Ben Johnson is an offensive head coach. That side of the ball is his priority, which may put left tackle into the conversation. Truth be told, this will come down to pick placement. Usually, when a team is stuck at the bottom half of the 1st round, as the Bears were this year, it is difficult to find quality pass rushers. Most of them are long gone within the first 15 picks.

The Bears saw it happen in April. Five edge rushers went in the first 23 picks. Rather than reach at the position, they opted to go with Dillon Thieneman, who rated much higher on most boards. The same thing could happen again if they make another deep playoff run. That said, it is highly unlikely the Bears go another full draft without taking an edge rusher. Stewart and Simmons are merely the tip of the iceberg.

The Chicago Bears finished the preseason strong with a 24-15 victory in Nashville over the Tennessee Titans. Lots of players put in strong efforts, doing everything possible to convince the team to give them a roster spot. Head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles took their notes and have now begun the process. With the deadline 24 hours away, the Bears don’t have time to waste. Cuts have begun surfacing. Practice squad additions will follow shortly after.

This tracker will help you monitor every update. Prepare for things to move quickly. Some notable names are already on their way out. More will soon follow.

Chicago Bears cuts:

CB Terell Smith

This is an unfortunate one. Smith was a quality depth cornerback for the Bears since being drafted in the 5th round. That ACL injury last year was a brutal setback, both on a personal and professional level. It allowed others to establish themselves. Though he finished the preseason strong, it was too little too late.

WR Scotty Miller

The veteran had a good camp and good preseason by all accounts. This was more of a case where another overshadowed Miller. Kaden Davis was outstanding from the moment he arrived at Halas Hall, playing so well that the Chicago Bears couldn’t justify keeping him off the roster.

WR J.P. Richardson

With the team so deep at wide receiver, Richardson’s odds were considerably worse than Miller’s and others. He never managed to make any notable impression during his time in practice or the preseason.

OT Jedrick Wills

The Bears took a gamble on the former top 10 pick after he finally returned from nearly two years off recovering from a knee injury. While the team liked the progress he showed, it didn’t translate enough in the preseason. There were too many mistakes. Ozzy Trapilo’s early return all but sealed his fate.

OL Cade Barnett

Chicago paid a lot of money by undrafted free agent standards to lure Barnett to Halas Hall. Unfortunately, the rookie failed to show any significant improvement since arriving. He struggled a lot in pass protection during the preseason, which likely did him in.

LB Jon Rhattigan

Rhattigan’s calling card was always special teams. That was how he might crack the roster. He failed to make any notable plays in that phase. When that became the case, his fate was sealed.

OT Kiran Amegadjie

The former 3rd round pick had the personal backing of Poles. That is probably what kept the tackle alive for three offseasons. He couldn’t make the leap necessary to protect himself this time. Injuries and erratic play finally did him in this year. He continues a long line of disappointing picks in that round for the Bears.

CB William Wright

He never stood out in training camp, serving more as a deep reserve that filled out the roster. His name was never mentioned, which tells you everything.

OT Mason Murphy

The big tackle had a pretty good preseason, statistically speaking. He certainly has the size and length. However, it was evident that he lacked the power and agility required at this level.

S Anthony Johnson

He may have had a chance to stick on the roster, but undrafted rookie Skyler Thomas clearly outplayed him. Johnson didn’t make a notable enough impact on special teams to change the equation.

S Marlen Sewell

Like Wright, the safety was more of a camp body than anything. He filled a roster spot and offered some help for others, but never stood out.

RB Salvon Ahmed

This is one of the bigger surprises. It felt like Ahmed had a really good preseason and was versatile enough to justify overtaking Roschon Johnson for that coveted third running back spot. What happened? This probably came down to Johnson just having greater value on special teams and in pass-blocking.

DL Marcus Davenport

The former 1st round pick looked like he might be some much-needed help at edge rusher for the Bears. Unfortunately, he never got up to speed fast enough to practice. He’s had a long history of health problems and the team didn’t seem interested in waiting to see if he comes around.

TE Stephen Carlson

A longtime veteran who’s hung around for years. Alas, he didn’t have a prayer of making the roster after the arrival of Sam Roush behind Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet.

OL Wesley French

Like many others, he never managed to stand out in camp. When your name is never mentioned in practice or games, that is a sure sign you’re out.

DL James Lynch

This one is a minor surprise. The Chicago Bears traded Gervon Dexter. That felt like a good sign that Lynch would make it after a strong preseason. In the end, the team seemed to like undrafted rookie Jayden Loving a little bit more.

LB Jack Sanborn

It appears Dennis Allen didn’t see enough from Sanborn this past month to justify keeping him. Though experienced, the linebacker’s lack of speed likely worked against him from the start.

WR Kaden Davis

By far the biggest surprise on the list. Davis was excellent throughout camp and the preseason. Him not playing in the finale felt like a sure sign he was safe. The only reason this move likely happened was that the Bears have moves planned elsewhere and need the roster spot. He is a surefire practice squad option.

WR Maurice Alexander

The same goes for Alexander. While he may not have exploded like Davis, he still had a really good summer. Bears QBs like him a lot and he made the most of his opportunities.

LB Antonio Grier

A camp body who got lost in the shuffle at what was a deep position for the Bears.

OL Kyle Hergel

Had a decent preseason, but that wasn’t nearly enough to overtake any of the notable interior blockers the Bears had.

TE Qadir Ismail

The same situation as Carlson. He failed to stand out in any meaningful way while also sitting on a stacked depth chart.

WR Omari Kelly

An interesting undrafted free agent signing in May. Kelly never made any significant plays in camp to build momentum.

OL Jaren Kump

Though a tough and intelligent center, the undrafted rookie from Utah was never supplanting Logan Jones for that primary backup spot.

DL Jeremiah Martin

Never a good sign when you fail to get noticed at a position that has serious depth questions.

LB Wayne Matthews III

With no shot of playing meaningful snaps on defense, his only hope was special teams. It didn’t materialize.

QB Miller Moss

He had some nice throws in the preseason. Alas, the Bears are loaded at QB with Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, and Case Keenum.

DB Deantre Prince

You know the story. Camp body with minimal fanfare and not enough talent to climb the depth chart.

DB Beanie Bishop (injury designation)

He brought considerable experience as a slot cornerback, which the Bears have needed. His two interceptions against Cleveland helped his case even further. Sadly, an injury killed his progress. Perhaps they may circle around to him again once he’s recovered.

LB Ruben Hyppolite II (injury designation)

It felt like Hyppolite was turning a corner after his strong showing in the preseason opener. Then, as with last year, an injury ruined everything. A shoulder issue popped up shortly after that game, and the linebacker never recovered—a sad end for the former 4th round pick.

DB Dontae Manning (injury designation)

Manning was the ultimate feast-famine player for the Bears. He’d have some spectacular plays in the preseason and follow them with some ugly breakdowns. He probably wouldn’t have made the roster even if healthy, but he had a shot at the practice squad.

RB Brittain Brown (IR)

Coach Johnson seems to really like the steadiness Brown brings to the position. Having him on the practice squad will be beneficial.

LB Tony Fields (IR)

Fields has special teams value; the Chicago Bears probably didn’t want to give up. That is why he got the Injured Reserve designation instead of a settlement.

DB Jaylon Jones (IR)

This is the same situation. Jones is a really good special teamer, which is how he’s hung around on the roster for the past few years. Getting him back down the line should bolster that unit.

WR Ray-Ray McCloud III (IR)

McCloud arrived late to the party as injuries at wide receiver mounted, and he made some nice plays. It wasn’t enough to unseat anybody, but it should get him onto the practice squad.

Practice squad additions:

• OG Caden Barnett
• WR Scotty Miller
• OT Christian Jones
• RB Zavier Scott
• RB Salvon Ahmed
• EDGE Marcus Davenport
• LB Jack Sanborn
• WR Kaden Davis
• OL Kyle Hergel
• LB Wayne Matthews
• DB Deantre Prince
• WR J.P Richardson
• DB Marlen Sewell
• TE Stephen Carlson

As per usual, most of the names on this list are ones who were with the Bears in training camp. However, some new ones are sprinkled in. Jones was a 5th round pick of the Cardinals in 2024. He’s a big, strong tackle with strong run-blocking properties. Scott was a big running back with solid versatility as a runner, receiver, and special teams option. Davenport landing there makes it clear the Bears plan to let him round into shape and elevate him from the practice squad down the line.