This past week, news came out that the Chicago Bears were entertaining offers for defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. It came as a surprise. After all, the man is only 24 years old and was coming off his best season with 6 sacks. This was a clear indication that the team probably didn’t plan to bring him back next year. Dexter is in the last season of his rookie contract. There were also indications that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen didn’t feel he was the best fit for his system. Sure enough, the big moment came the morning after the team’s preseason finale in Tennessee.

The Bears are sending Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 5th round pick in 2027 and cornerback Clark Phillips. This trade makes sense from Atlanta’s perspective. They have significant defensive line needs in the middle. Dexter helps alleviate that. Falcons GM Ian Cunningham was in Chicago when they selected him in the 2nd round in 2023. He knows exactly the type of player Dexter is. As for the Bears? This move is a clear indication that they feel very strongly about their other options at the position.

Gervon Dexter was always on borrowed time.

Allen’s history has always shown that he prefers defensive tackles who are quick and explosive. Think Sheldon Rankins. That has never been Dexter’s game. His explosiveness and get-off were always sore spots of discussion for fans. He overcame those issues with his size, length, and power. Once the Bears made a series of moves at defensive tackle this offseason, things got interesting. Yet the true pivot point was unquestionably the rise of 6th round pick Jordan Van Den Berg. The rookie has been tearing up training camp and the preseason for the past month, looking like the ideal player Allen wants.

Couple this with the quality play of Neville Gallimore, James Lynch, and even undrafted free agent Jayden Loving, and you start to see why the Bears felt they could justify letting Gervon Dexter go. So what of the return? Remember, the Bears only had six picks heading into next year’s 2027 draft. They lost a 5th rounder to the Patriots in exchange for center Garrett Bradbury. They have now gotten that pick back. As for Clark Phillips? He is a former 4th round pick in 2023 out of Utah who played two seasons for the team before being relegated to special teams. He allowed a 94.2 passer rating with one interception and five pass breakups.

Phillips has untapped potential.

He’s only 24 years old and was one of the Falcons’ best defenders in the preseason, allowing just one catch on six targets. Coming out of college, scouts saw him as a football junkie. He was a student of the game with great instincts for takeaways and the toughness to play a physical style of football. It is pretty clear why the Bears like him. More than anything, he gives them some badly needed depth. Cornerback has been hit by injuries frequently this summer, a problem that has persisted since last year. Phillips should allow rookie Malik Muhammad to focus on nickel corner full-time, with Kyler Gordon showing no signs of returning.

The man to trust here is Al Harris. Chicago’s defensive backs coach is one of the best in the NFL. We saw what he could do with untapped potential last year with Nahshon Wright. Perhaps Phillips is another project for him. There is no getting around the reality, though. Trading Dexter is a tremendous risk. It is a huge bet on Van Den Berg and Gallimore being able to fill the gap he leaves behind. The defensive line was already a question mark. One can only hope Allen knows what he’s doing.

The Chicago Bears took care of business on Saturday night. Riding an explosive start with a 97-yard touchdown bomb to Zavion Thomas, the team cruised to a 24-15 victory. They finish the preseason 2-1 and can officially begin preparations for opening day in Carolina against the Panthers. The first order of business for head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles is whittling down the roster from 90 players to 53. Most of those decisions are likely already made. There will be a handful of discussions over the next 24-48 hours. Perhaps the toughest decision will be Jayden Loving.

Back in April, there wasn’t much buzz around the defensive tackle from Wake Forest. He was undersized with only one season of solid production. It is why he went undrafted. However, the Bears felt he had the explosiveness they wanted for the position and would be a good fit in Dennis Allen’s system. That assessment appears to be correct. Two weeks after generating a pressure that led to an interception against Cleveland, Loving struck again in Nashville, delivering a strip sack. It was part of a terrific game where he finished with a sack, a forced fumble, two tackles for a loss, and a pass deflection.

Jayden Loving deserves a roster spot.

The problem is that he’s stuck on a depth chart that is suddenly much deeper than it was last season. Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett were starters. Neville Gallimore and 6th round pick Jordan Van Den Berg are also locks. That could be all the spots filled unless Dexter is traded or the Bears decide to keep five defensive tackles. Even then, it would be tough because veteran James Lynch has also played well. So you’re starting to see the dilemma. The Bears want to reward players who earn their way onto the roster. Loving has done enough to do that, but so have others in his position group.

This comes down to an important question. If the Bears cut him, what are the odds that another team claims Jayden Loving on waivers? Defensive linemen are always in high demand, especially those who can generate some interior pass rush. There is no way the Bears would carry two rookies as the primary backups to Dexter and Jarrett. That means they need to reserve a fifth spot at the position to make it happen. Would they be willing to sacrifice a spot elsewhere? That depends on whether Johnson believes they’re strong enough to go lighter somewhere else.

The Bears deserve credit.

They’ve done some really good work at identifying quality talent despite taking a bargain approach. Van Den Berg already looks like a menace. Loving was found under the same search parameters. You can never tell if a player is destined for great things based on preseason play. Yet you can’t deny that Loving has made the most of his limited opportunities. He has the tools to play on Sundays. The challenge is finding the snaps for him. Right now, the Bears are hard-pressed to find a way to do that.

The Bears have until 5:00 CST to make their decisions. All cuts must be filed by then. Having played their preseason game later than other teams, they have less time to make them. There won’t be any time for Johnson and the coaches to comb over the game tape. They’ll have to make a judgment call based on what they saw during the game itself. That should favor Loving after his performance.

Of all the Chicago Bears‘ draft picks this past April, the one that drew the biggest gasp was Zavion Thomas in the 3rd round. Many fans weren’t familiar with the name. In fact, even the experts were shocked by the choice. Many had the LSU wide receiver pegged as a late-round prospect or even an undrafted free agent. Taking him in the 3rd round felt like an appalling reach. Head coach Ben Johnson was unapologetic. He liked Thomas early on in the evaluation process, feeling he was a good returner who had untapped potential as a receiver. Then, of course, there was the game-breaking speed.

However, Thomas did not play in the first two preseason games due to nagging injuries. Saturday night in Nashville finally gave him the opportunity for live reps. When we say he did not waste time, we aren’t exaggerating. On the second drive of the game, the Bears were backed up to their own 3-yard line. Rather than call a run to try and create some breathing room, head coach Ben Johnson went into his bag. He put Thomas out wide. The rookie ran a nasty double move, and Tyson Bagent found him wide open for a 97-yard touchdown.

Zavion Thomas was a problem every time he touched the ball.

The rookie had two more catches in the half for an additional 19 yards, bringing his total to 116. Keep in mind, he was only targeted three times. That is how much damage he did despite not being the primary option. This is what Johnson was talking about. You can’t teach speed. If you can get the ball in this guy’s hands, he has the raw talent to make something happen. If the offensive showcase wasn’t enough for you, Thomas decided to put an exclamation point on things in the 2nd quarter.

After the defense forced a punt, the rookie went back for the return. This time, he was in his element. Thomas took the ball, veered right, and weaved his way for a 39-yard run to give the Bears great field position.

Yes, it is acknowledged that this is just the preseason. Most of the players Zavion Thomas went against won’t be on the Titans’ main roster by next week. Still, the eye test doesn’t lie. The young man has legitimate skills. Putting him in the hands of a head coach of Johnson’s pedigree might’ve been a mistake by the NFL.

All of this raises an obvious question.

What in the world happened at LSU? How is it that the program never found a way to get Thomas the ball more? Just 64 catches in two seasons feels woefully inadequate and a major missed opportunity. Whatever the reason, it’s pretty clear the Bears won’t make the same mistake. Thomas will have to earn his opportunities like anybody else. Johnson doesn’t hand it to you for free. Even so, the head coach has big plans for the young receiver. That kind of speed is a weapon in so many ways.

The Bears didn’t really have it last season. Luther Burden was probably the closest, but even he doesn’t have the pure zoom that Thomas does. At some point this season, the situation will be right. Johnson will call that deep shot to the rookie. Knowing Caleb Williams’ arm talent, it should be fireworks all the way. As if this offense couldn’t get more exciting. That pick may have looked controversial at the time, but there was always a plan.

The Chicago Bears probably aren’t too worried about the upcoming roster cuts following the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans. They know who they’re keeping and who they don’t want back. They also have a pretty good idea of who they can add to the practice squad after cuts. The problem is that there is always a significant risk that some of the players you let go get scooped up by other teams, either on waivers or as free agents. Since the Bears have a deeper roster than in years past, that risk is higher for them.

So who should they be nervous about losing if cut? Here is a list of five names to watch carefully. All of them bring something to the table, but are caught in tough situations. How head coach Ben Johnson navigates those decisions may set the tone for the upcoming season.

These Chicago Bears will be the toughest cut decisions.

WR Scotty Miller

Under normal circumstances, Miller would be an easy choice for that sixth and final wide receiver slot. He has big-game experience, works well in the slot, and can be helpful in the return game if needed. Sadly, these aren’t normal circumstances. Kaden Davis has played out of his mind all summer. The Bears can’t justify cutting him after all of that. It would send a terrible message. Jahdae Walker and Zavion Thomas were never in any danger. So, unless the coaches want to carry seven receivers, Miller is the odd man out. That stings because he could have helped the team, and there will be someone out there ready to grab him.

C Jaren Kump

We already know the Bears are set at center with Garrett Bradbury and Logan Jones. Carrying three centers doesn’t seem like something the team will do. That is unfortunate since Kump appears to have had a pretty good summer. He’s handled himself well in practice and put together two good preseason games, allowing just 1 quarterback pressure in 20 snaps. If you look around the NFL right now, there are several teams with pressing concerns at the center position. You can bet they will be eyeing the waiver wire for help. Despite being a rookie, Kump will be a target for depth.

DT James Lynch

How many defensive tackles will the Chicago Bears keep? Coach Johnson mentioned how much he loves the depth of this unit, and Lynch has played really well in the preseason. Grady Jarrett, Neville Gallimore, and Jordan Van Den Berg are locks. Gervon Dexter is probably a lock, but remains a bit of a wild card because of trade rumors. That is four. Will they carry a fifth? That seems less likely since they know Dayo Odeyingbo will shift inside on passing downs pretty often this season. Lynch may need another really strong performance in Tennessee to try forcing the issue. Otherwise, another team will quickly scoop him up.

S Skyler Thomas

Coby Bryant is on IR. That leaves Dillon Thieneman, Elijah Hicks, and Xavier Woods as locks for the roster. Here’s where it gets complicated. Will the Chicago Bears classify Cam Lewis as a safety or a cornerback? This may determine whether Thomas makes the roster. It is highly doubtful the team carries five safeties. The undrafted free agent has put together a strong camp, punctuating it with an impressive interception against Cincinnati last week. He offers certain traits that could make him valuable in the right situations. Can they justify it despite his lack of presence on special teams? It’s a tough call.

CB Jaylon Jones

Cornerback has become a problematic position for the Bears as injuries mount. Kyler Gordon is still out. Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson were both nicked in the most recent practice. That makes these depth decisions more important for the coaches. Jones is a big conundrum. He does have playing experience, but has never been overly good. Serviceable mostly. The tricky part is that he’s a very good special teams player. We already know the Bears will keep Josh Blackwell, who is probably their best special teams player. Would they double down to keep Jones as well? If not, his services will be in high demand for those seeking third-phase help.

With Dillon Thieneman and Jordan Van Den Berg eating up most of the headlines throughout Chicago Bears training camp, it’s been easy for other members of the 2026 draft class to go unnoticed. Wide receiver Zavion Thomas has flashed multiple times in practice. Center Logan Jones had his best performance so far against Cincinnati in the preseason. Cornerback Malik Muhammad is improving rapidly despite having to play nickel in Kyler Gordon’s absence. Yet the one who might be worth mentioning the most is Sam Roush.

The tight end entered a tough situation with Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet already ahead of him on the depth chart. However, head coach Ben Johnson insisted Roush would have significant value to this team. Demonstrations of that have been popping up much more recently, both in his trademark blocking and pass-catching. Adam Hoge of CHGO says Thursday’s joint practice in Tennessee was a shining moment for Roush, who delivered some big catches that have Johnson and others excited.

Roush was on the receiving end of a pass from Williams, but also caught a fade in the back of the end zone from Keenum. 

“He’s building that trust,” Johnson said about Roush. “There’s flashes where he gets you really, really excited. Is it at the level of consistency that we want yet? No. The answer is no. And I’m not surprised by that either. Yet, I think he’s going to be a phenomenal football player for a long time in this league.”

Rookie tight ends tend to go through some growing pains, particularly because of how much they are involved in every aspect of the offense. 

“I think it’s right up there with quarterback, just in terms of the amount of mental strain that we put on these guys, run game, pass pro, route running, and the faster we can get him to play, the better off he’s going to be in the long run,” Johnson said.

Sam Roush is in a great spot.

He doesn’t carry any of the pressure of having to perform immediately, as some rookies would. Loveland and Kmet will garner most of the attention at tight end. That leaves Roush free to focus on his job. When he does see the field, he should be well-prepared and unconcerned about the spotlight being on him. Fans won’t be focusing on the #3 tight end, just like they didn’t notice Durham Smythe last season. The difference is that Roush is a far greater threat than his predecessor was.

That is why the Bears drafted him in the first place. They utilized three tight ends plenty last season. Smythe didn’t show up much because he didn’t offer much upside as a pass-catcher. It is becoming clear that Sam Roush is different. He is much more like Kmet than he is Smythe, a nice blend of blocking and receiving ability. Having two tight ends who bring matchup advantages is a luxury—having three? That is reserved for the chosen few. What can defenses do about that? Even if they put a top cornerback on Loveland, it means either Kmet or Roush will be covered by a linebacker. That is a mismatch.

Depth has become very real on the Bears’ offense.

Be honest with yourselves. Has there ever been a time when Chicago had a lineup of skill position players this deep in franchise history? You have Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Kalif Raymond, Jahdae Walker, and 3rd round pick Zavion Thomas at wide receiver. Then you have Loveland, Kmet, and Roush at tight end. The sheer volume of options available to Caleb Williams is on a level no Bears quarterback has seen before. Johnson and GM Ryan Poles won’t apologize for their approach. Building around the quarterback should be priority #1 of every organization.

Roush is like a knight in chess. He is far from the most important piece, but he can impact the board in ways you don’t expect. Considering how much Coach Johnson loves his chess pieces, it makes more sense than ever why he gravitated to the tight end. He may not be the central character in this story, but he has an important role to play, and his impact may stretch further than people think.

The Chicago Bears wanted two joint practices going into August. Head coach Ben Johnson felt it was a great way for his team to get some work against players other than themselves. Practicing against the same guys every single day only provides so many benefits. The preseason won’t be much help since many of the starters may not play. Joint practices are the only way Johnson can be certain his starters will meet the other team’s starters on equal footing. The upside is obvious.

This year, the Bears worked out deals with the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans to run joint practices in back-to-back weeks. You wouldn’t think there was any specific reason Johnson chose them. They’re merely the two possibilities that were on the table. You would be wrong. The Bears’ head coach revealed that he wanted those two teams for a very specific reason. It was because each of them boasted one of the best interior pass defensive linemen in the league. Cincinnati has Dexter Lawrence, and Tennessee has Jeffrey Simmons.

Johnson wanted to test his offensive line in those fires.

“This was by design,” Johnson said. “We wanted to challenge our offensive line, and certainly it’s great work for (right guard) Jonah (Jackson) and Joe, but we’ll get (Luke) Newman in there a little bit, Jordan McFadden in there a little bit and see where they’re at as well with their development.

“Completely different style of defense this week than what we just saw. This is an attacking front. They want to meet us on our side of the line of scrimmage and knock us back.”

Ben Johnson doing this is not an accident.

One thing you can be certain of is that the head coach has a long memory. A big reason the Bears lost their playoff game in January to the Los Angeles Rams was the interior offensive line’s failure to hold up. For the game, L.A.’s defensive tackles had 11 of the team’s 24 pressures on Caleb Williams. It was a key reason the Bears weren’t able to generate many scoring opportunities for most of the game. One thing you can be certain of in the playoffs is you’re going to run into good interior pass rushes. Even if Chicago had gotten past the Rams, they had Seattle waiting for them in the NFC Championship.

Now, part of this isn’t entirely the line’s fault. They operated without their best player in that game. Left guard Joe Thuney had been forced to move outside to left tackle after Ozzy Trapilo’s knee injury the week before. This put the untested Jordan McFadden at left guard and put center Drew Dalman into a tough spot. Without a steady pocket, Williams was forced to move around and threw three costly interceptions. Ben Johnson knows the Bears won’t win a championship unless their interior blocking improves.

Throwing them to the wolves is a great way to test them.

Lawrence and Simmons are arguably two of the best in the entire NFL. By all accounts, they gave the Bears’ offensive line all it could handle in both practices. It was a pure trial by fire, and Johnson wouldn’t have had it any other way. Learning how to deal with beasts like that should better prepare the Bears’ guards and centers for what they’ll likely see in the big games later this year. That is why this head coach gets it. He doesn’t just forget about a loss and move on. Johnson identifies what went wrong and works tirelessly to shore up that weakness, however he can.

In the absence of overhauling the interior blocking, which was never going to happen, the best thing for him to do was mentally prepare them for what’s coming. The Bears will face some really good interior pass rushes this year. Aaron Donald is probably returning to L.A. They have a rematch with Philadelphia coming, the face the Patriots and Seahawks in back-to-back weeks. Johnson knew exactly what he was doing.

The more you listen to top Chicago Bears beat writers and others close to the organization, the easier it becomes to recognize that something is off between the team and cornerback Kyler Gordon. Sports Mockery’s own connections have mentioned that team brass are frustrated with him. They feel his ongoing absence is less about him actually being hurt and more about getting bad advice from people in his camp. Nobody is more over it by now than head coach Ben Johnson. Every time Gordon’s name comes up, his answers become terse.

It is obvious to anybody with common sense that he is unsympathetic to the cornerback’s problems. After all, he sees other players on the roster with much more serious injuries fighting to get back on the field. Just look at Darnell Wright. He recently aggravated an arm injury from last season. One that has required a protective brace. The right tackle didn’t even miss time. Ozzy Trapilo literally tore his patellar tendon in January. He’s already back practicing. Johnson sent a not-so-subtle message to Gordon in his latest comments on that.

“It’s not just Darnell. He’s a great example of it, but we have almost the entire roster fighting their tails off to get back out on the field. They do not like missing time. They want to be out there competing. They want to be out there with their teammates, and to me, that’s the sign that we’re moving in the right direction. And I get a lot of positive vibes from that. So it’s good.”

Even if Kyler Gordon wasn’t an intentional target, that comment hurts.

He missed 14 games last season with various soft tissue injuries. Now he’s missed all of training camp and the preseason. There is a growing likelihood he won’t play in the opener next month. A calf injury should not keep a player out this long. If it were that bad, he’d have had surgery and been placed on Injured Reserve, not the PUP list. Johnson refuses to coddle players who aren’t battling to help the team win. That doesn’t mean he demands they play injured, but there are certain limits to how much grace you should give guys.

After all, the Bears endured this same nonsense with Nate Davis. The former guard kept missing games and practices due to all sorts of minor injuries. It didn’t take long to recognize that his commitment was lukewarm at best. The guy didn’t care enough to fight harder to play. That is why the Bears cut him so quickly and probably why he hasn’t been on a team since the end of 2024. Some guys who get their money seem to lose interest in playing anymore. Has that happened with Kyler Gordon? Some are starting to wonder.

This entire situation sucks.

What hurts so much is that Gordon is a good player. When he’s on the field, he makes the Bears’ defense more effective. It’d be one thing if he were just a bad player like Davis was. Seeing good players spiral down the drain like this is hard to watch. Gordon should be contending for Pro Bowls every year. He has that kind of ability. The sad truth is your talent matters little if you can’t stay on the field. Bears fans aren’t sure how much of it is due to real health problems and how much is a sagging desire to play at this point.

We’ll probably know after the preseason finale. If Gordon still hasn’t surfaced by then, it’s safe to say he won’t play week one and may not play at all. Johnson’s stance on him is hardening by the day. He doesn’t care how good the cornerback may or may not be. He won’t reward players by keeping their spots reserved for them. He never saw the Gordon that earned the lucrative contract extension. All Johnson has seen is the guy who pretty much never plays.

Dillon Thieneman became the first defensive player drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 1st round in eight years last April. He was also the first safety taken that high by them since 1990. So yeah, Thieneman made a little bit of history when he heard his name called. The Bears felt the decision was more than justified. They were surprised the safety was even available at the 25th spot. His mix of instincts and elite athleticism made it feel like he was a lock to go in the top 20. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen practically jumped for joy when the Bears made the pick.

Another person happy with the result was head coach Ben Johnson. Though an offensive guru by trade, he had a key voice in evaluating Thieneman. General manager Ryan Poles mentioned how Johnson started rocking back and forth in his seat watching the safety’s tape. That is a dead giveaway to scouts that the head coach really likes a player. Johnson’s admiration for Thieneman seems to have only grown since then. He made that pretty clear during the Bears’ joint practice in Nashville with the Titans.

“He just comes into work and gets after it. (He’s) a little bit robotic like that — in a good way. I’m saying that as a compliment. He just puts his head down and grinds. And what you’ve seen is slow and steady progress throughout (camp).”

Dillon Thieneman is already ascending.

Training camp started as you’d expect. The rookie struggled at times, not handling the NFL’s sheer speed and pace very well. As a result, Caleb Williams, Colston Loveland, and the offense taught him several painful lessons in practice. However, instead of getting discouraged, Thieneman kept his head down and worked. Every day, he was on the field, in the film room, and speaking to veteran teammates about how he could get better. By the second week of camp, you started noticing a shift.

Suddenly, the 1st round pick wasn’t constantly on the back foot. He was squeezing throwing windows, chasing down ball carriers for shorter gains, and picking off passes here and there. Taking advantage of him had become more difficult. For somebody to make that kind of progress in such a short time speaks to how hard Dillon Thieneman works and his great feel for the game. You start to understand why Johnson is so enamored with him. He likes grinders, and the young safety is a born grinder.

The timing of this can’t be understated.

Chicago is hurting at safety. Coby Bryant was supposed to be the position’s leader. No surprise after just winning a Super Bowl in Seattle. That went out the window when he injured his knee. With Bryant out for two months, the Bears need others to step up. That is particularly true with Thieneman. It might sound unfair to demand more of a rookie, but the defense needs help. Like any good teammate, he has answered the bell. Thieneman’s presence has become impossible to ignore.

The faster this happens, the better this defense will be once everybody is healthy again. Of course, that was the hope last year and it never materialized. More than anything, the Bears need their 1st round pick to control what he can control. Keep working hard and give it your all on Sundays. If he does that, the results should work out in his favor. The team believes he has big things ahead of him. The signs are already there.