Bears reach 53-player limit

The Bears reached the NFL’s mandatory 53-player limit on Tuesday by releasing 13 players, waiving nine veteran players and placing offensive lineman Larry Borom, defensive lineman Jacob Martin and receiver Dante Pettis on the injured list, with Borom and Martin designated to return.

The following players were fired:

• Austin Reed, quarterback
• Brenden Bates, tight end
• Theo Benedet, attacking line
• Jake Curhan, Offensive Line
• Jamree Kromah, defensive line
• Dashaun Mallory, defensive line
• Micah Baskerville, linebacker
• Carl Jones Jr., linebacker
• Leon Jones, defender
• Reddy Steward, defensive back
• Ro Torrence, defender
• Cameron Lyons, long snapper
• Corliss Waitman, punter

The following veteran players (players with at least four seasons of NFL experience) have been released, making them free agents who can sign with any team:

• Brett Rypien, quarterback
• Khari Blasingame, defender
• Collin Johnson, receiver
• Stephen Carlson, tight end
• Aviante Collins, offensive line
• Byron Cowart, defensive line
• Greg Stroman Jr., defensive back
• Adrian Colbert, defender
• Tarvarius Moore, defender

On Wednesday, the Bears can assemble a 16-man practice squad, six of which have unrestricted NFL experience. They can also claim players waived by other NFL teams. The Bears are ranked ninth in the waiver order among NFL clubs based on their 2023 record.

NFL teams typically fill their practice squads with players they cut in the final rounds of drafts. As a result, several players cut from the Bears’ roster on Tuesday could be reinstated to the practice squad.

The Bears kept two quarterbacks on their roster: Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent; four running backs: D’Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, Travis Homer and Roschon Johnson.

They kept three tight ends: Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett and Marcedes Lewis; and 10 offensive linemen: Braxton Jones, Darnell Wright, Kiran Amegadjie, Coleman Shelton, Doug Kramer Jr., Teven Jenkins, Nate Davis, Bill Murray, Ryan Bates and Matt Pryor.

The Bears kept six receivers: DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Tyler Scott, Velus Jones Jr. and DeAndre Carter.

Ten defensemen earned a spot on the roster: Montez Sweat, Darrell Taylor, DeMarcus Walker, Daniel Hardy, Austin Booker, Dominique Robinson, Gervon Dexter Sr., Andrew Billings, Chris Williams and Zacch Pickens.

The linebackers who made the 53-man roster were Tremaine Edmunds, TJ Edwards, Jack Sanborn, Amen Ogbongbemiga and Noah Sewell.

The Bears retained 10 defensemen: Blackwell, Kyler Gordon, Jaylon Johnson, Jaylon Jones, Terell Smith, Tyrique Stevenson, Kevin Byard III, Jaquan Brisker, Elijah Hicks and Jonathan Owens.

Their three specialists are kicker Cairo Santos, punter Tory Taylor and long snapper Patrick Scales.

All 18 players selected in the fifth round or higher in Ryan Poles’ first three drafts as the Bears’ general manager made the original 53-man roster:

• 1-1 Caleb Williams, quarterback
• 1-9 Rome Odunze, receiver
• 3-75 Kiran Amegadjie, offensive line
• 4-122 Tory Taylor, punter
• 5-144 Austin Booker, defensive line

• 1-10 Darnell Wright, Offensive Line
• 2-53 Gervon Dexter Sr., defensive line
• 2-56 Tyrique Stevenson, defensive back
• 3-64 Zacch Pickens, Defensive Line
• 4-115 Roschon Johnson, running back
• 4-133 Tyler Scott, Receiver
• 5-148 Noah Sewell, linebacker
• 5-165 Terell Smith, defensive back

• 2-39 Kyler Gordon, defensive back
• 2-48 Jaquan Brisker, defensive back
• 3-71 Velus Jones Jr., Receiver
• 5-168 Braxton Jones, offensive line
• 5-174 Dominque Robinson, defensive line

Furthermore, 48 of the 53 players have been acquired since Poland’s arrival, with the only exceptions being Herbert, Kmet, Jenkins, Jaylon Johnson and Scales.

This is the current position distribution of the 53-player squad (in alphabetical order):

Quarterbacks (2): Tyson Bagent, Caleb Williams.