The Chicago Bears have until 3 p.m. Tuesday to submit their initial 53-man roster to the NFL office. But general manager Ryan Poles, coach Matt Eberflus and their staffs are continuing to make moves to push the team in that direction.
In addition to a pair of trades the Poles made to add Darrell Taylor and Chris Williams to its defensive line, the team made a series of other decisions heading into Week 1.
As the Bears’ roster takes shape ahead of their season opener on September 8 against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field, here are all the latest developments.
Tuesday
The Bears have released quarterback Brett Rypien, NFL Network reported.
The Bears had already planned to play starting quarterback Caleb Williams and backup Tyson Bagent. But Rypien brought a veteran presence to the young QB room during training camp. Rypien could now sign with other teams or he and the Bears could opt to revert him to the practice squad.
Rypien played in 10 games and started four times over four NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams.
Nothing is official, but there’s a good chance long snapper Patrick Scales will open the season on injured reserve.
Scales, 36, hasn’t played since the Hall of Fame game against the Houston Texans, when he suffered a back injury.
If Scales starts the season on IR, he could be eligible to return as early as Week 5 when the Bears host the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 6.
Scales hasn’t missed a regular-season game since the 2017 season, when he tore his ACL in a preseason game against Tennessee. If he’s unavailable, the Bears will have to change course. That could mean keeping Cameron Lyons, who has been with them in training camp and the preseason, or more likely sorting through veteran options after the rest of the league completes cuts.
Lyons has never played in an NFL regular-season game. He was with the New York Giants during training camp last summer.
The Bears are expected to waive receiver Collin Johnson and tight end Stephen Carlson and part ways with safety Adrian Colbert.
Johnson had a nice performance in the Bears’ preseason opener against the Houston Texans, but he has been out for several weeks with an injury. Johnson, who played in three games for the Bears last season, could be a candidate for a practice squad signing.
Colbert has been in the NFL since 2017 and has played in 41 games, including 22 as a starter. He has shined at times this preseason, but the Bears have good depth at safety in Elijah Hicks and Jonathan Owens behind starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker.
The Bears also made two moves on their offensive line, releasing offensive tackle Jake Curhan and waiving offensive tackle Aviante Collins.
Curhan played 29 games with the Seattle Seahawks over the past three seasons but was at the bottom of the offensive line depth chart.
The Bears will also release defensive tackle Byron Cowart, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson said.
Monday
Third-year offensive lineman Ja’Tyre Carter led a list of nine players the Bears waived Monday. The others were defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour, receivers John Jackson and Peter LeBlanc, offensive lineman Jerome Carvin, defensive lineman Jaylon Hutchings, defensive back Quindell Johnson and linebackers Paul Moala and Javin White.
Carter, a seventh-round pick out of Southern in 2022, played in 13 games in his first two seasons with the Bears, making two starts last season.
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The Bears were facing a numerical crisis on the offensive line heading into Tuesday’s roster deadline.
With center/guard Ryan Bates still working through a shoulder injury that puts his availability in question for Week 1, the team will likely keep Doug Kramer on the 53-man roster as a backup center heading into the regular season. Other offensive linemen who will definitely or very likely be on the roster include Darnell Wright, Teven Jenkins, Braxton Jones, Nate Davis, Coleman Shelton, Kiran Amegadjie and Matt Pryor.
If Carter is retained, he is a prime candidate to return to the Bears’ 17-man practice squad.
SATURDAY
The Bears waived undrafted rookie defensive tackle Keith Randolph Jr., defensive end Khalid Kareem and wide receiver Freddie Swain, and terminated veteran tight end Tommy Sweeney. The team also placed three players — wide receiver Nsimba Webster, defensive back Douglas Coleman III and running back Ian Wheeler — on injured reserve.
The three trades come late in the season. Wheeler, an undrafted rookie out of Howard, suffered a torn ACL in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs. Coleman, meanwhile, suffered a neck injury in that game and was stretchered off the field. After being evaluated at a hospital, he was cleared Friday to fly to Chicago.
The Bears will have to submit their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, but will have the option to bring back 17 players to their practice squad if they win.
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