Bears

Tracking the Chicago Bears’ 2025 53-man roster ahead of NFL cutdown deadline

Chicago Bears wide receiver Samori Toure avoids the tackle of Miami Dolphins linebacker Dequan Jackson Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, during their game at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Samori Toure avoids the tackle of Miami Dolphins linebacker Dequan Jackson during their game at Soldier Field in Chicago earlier this month. (Mark Busch)

By Michal Dwojak

The preseason games are over, and now the Chicago Bears will have to make some tough choices as training camp comes to an end.

General manager Ryan Poles, head coach Ben Johnson and their staffs will have to decide which players to keep on their 53-man roster. They’ll need to cut down their roster down from 90 players before the NFL’s 3 p.m. deadline on Tuesday.

Here are the latest roster moves the Bears have made to reach Tuesday’s deadline. Check back in for all the latest moves over the next day.

Bears place Zah Frazier on NFI, waive 8, release 3

The Bears continued to make roster moves Monday before their practice that afternoon.

The team placed rookie cornerback Zah Frazier on the reserve/non-football injury list. Frazier missed all of training camp with a personal matter after the Bears drafted him in the fifth round this April out of UTSA. Frazier was seen at Halas Hall before Wednesday’s practice being driven around the facility in a golf cart.

The Bears also waived quarterback Austin Reed, running back Ian Wheeler, safeties Millard Bradford and Alex Cook, cornerback Kaleb Hayes, defensive end Xavier Carlton and linebacker Power Echols. They also officially waived tight end Joel Wilson.

Reed spent last season as part of the Bears’ practice squad. That could still be an option this season depending on the severity of backup quarterback Case Keenum’s injury that’s kept him off the field the past couple of weeks. Wheeler tried to fight for a roster spot this past month after her tore his ACL at last year’s training camp.

Offensive lineman Joshua Miles, cornerback Tre Flowers and running back Royce Freeman were also released.

Tight end Joel Wilson waived

The Bears reportedly made their first cut of the day Monday morning by waiving tight end Joel Wilson. KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson was the first to report that Wilson was waived by the team.

Wilson signed with the Bears’ practice squad in October and signed a reserve/future contract with the team in January. He caught 11 passes for 85 yards during the preseason, including a touchdown in Friday’s last-second win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

The offense now has four tight ends left on the roster: Cole Kmet, rookie Colston Loveland, Durham Smythe and Stephen Carlson. The team is likely to keep three tight ends on the active roster.

Bears waive six players, place Terell Smith on reserve/injured list

The team started its roster cutdown Sunday by waiving six players.

The Bears waived linebacker Swayze Bozeman, offensive lineman Chris Glaser, tight end Thomas Gordon, safety Mark Perry, wide receiver Samori Toure and cornerback Jeremiah Walker.

They also officially placed cornerback Terell Smith on the reserve/injured list after he suffered a knee injury against the Buffalo Bills that will keep him out for the whole season.

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Michal Dwojak

Michal Dwojak

Michal covers the Chicago Bears for Shaw Local and also serves as the company's sports enterprise reporter. He previously covered the CCL/ESCC for Friday Night Drive and other prep sports for the Northwest Herald. Michal previously served as the sports editor for the Glenview Lantern, Northbook Tower and Malibu Surfside News.