With the league-wide NFL deadline to determine 53-man rosters due this afternoon, the Chicago Bears announced the final cuts to trim the roster size in preparation for Week 1.

Here is the initial 53-man roster for the 2025 Chicago Bears

Quarterbacks: Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum

Having been thrown into the fire of Ben Johnson’s new offense, Williams has made significant progress in developing his game, from processing defenses to distributing the ball more efficiently. Still, there is a lot of work to be done, but Williams has shown progress in his own game and is taking control of the offense. Bagent, who received a much-deserved two-year extension, has done everything to progress himself into one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league, and quickly won over Johnson and his staff. Williams is the starter, but the Bears are more than comfortable with Bagent stepping into action.

Running backs: D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai

Swift, back in Ben Johnson’s offense behind a new revamped o-line, could see his best season yet. With Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai sidelined by injury, and with no clear timetable for their return, what the Bears do in the following days will be a telling sign of how confident the team is in the two players’ status before Week 1.

Wide receivers: DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luther Burden II, Devin Duvernay, Jahdae Walker

Chicago boasts a confident top-four receiver room. With return specialist Duvernay, who has a career 977 receiving yards with 105 receptions, he is capable of playing if needed, but with the emergence of undrafted rookie Walker, who jumped Tyler Scott for the final spot, wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El has lots of pieces to work with.

Tight end: Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, Durham Smythe

Drafting Loveland No. 10 overall, Chicago adds the potential to a 12-personal scheme for play-caller Johnson. A more-than-average tight end room will give the team more creativity to scheme with.

Offensive line: Drew Dalman, Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, Darnell Wright, Braxton Jones, Ozzy Trapilo, Luke Newman, Kiran Amegadjie, Ryan Bates, Theo Benedet

Chicago keeps 10 offensive linemen with veteran Bates providing versatility at guard and center, and Newman, the rookie, showcasing his ability at guard. Left tackle is still open, and no starter has been named. Jones is presumed to be the starter come week 1 against Minnesota.

Edge: Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, Dominique Robinson, Austin Booker, Daniel Hardy

Sweat, having one of his best camps so far, is poised for a big season. Chicago will look for someone to help provide pressure on the opposite side. Booker finishes the preseason with 4.5 sacks and will look for Odeyingbo, whom they gave $48 million over three seasons, to make an impact.

Defensive line: Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., Chris Williams, Andrew Billings, Shemar Turner

Chicago added Jarrett in the offseason to bring his consistency of stellar performance to match up with Dexter’s potential year three breakout. Billings returns after missing the second half of last season, and Chicago keeps Williams for versatility along with second-round rookie Turner.

Defensive backs: Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordan, Jaquan Brisker, Tyrique Stevenson, Kevin Byrad III, Jonathan Owens, Elijah Hicks, Josh Blackwell, Nashon Wright, Nick McCloud

The outlook for Chicago’s secondary could be one of the best in the league. Still, with questions about Johnson’s Week 1 status, along with Brisker returning after missing 12 games last season, the starting group hasn’t played together in nearly a calendar year. However, it does add lots of depth with guys who have plenty of playing experience.

Linebackers: Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Ruben Hyppolite II, Noah Sewell, Carl Jones

With a solid one-two punch back for their third season, Sewell, in year three, has emerged looking to fulfill the role of the SAM linebacker spot.

Special Teams: Cairo Santos, Tory Taylor, Scott Daly

Final Chicago Bears roster moves:

Players placed in the reserve/injured; designated to return:

RB Travis Homer
LB Amen Ogbongbemiga

Waived/injured players:

DB Tysheem Johnson
OL Doug Kramer Jr.
OL Bill Murray

Waived players:

WR Maurice Alexander
RB Brittain Brown
LS Luke Elkin
DL Jonathan Ford
DB Mekhi Garner
DL Jamree Kromah
OL Jordan McFadden
DL Zacch Pickens
WR JP Richardson
WR Tyler Scott
OL Ricky Stromberg

Released players:

WR Miles Boykin
TE Stephen Carlson
DL Tanoh Kpassagnon

Activated to roster:

DB Jaylon Johnson
P Tory Taylor