Following the Hall of Fame Game last week, the Chicago Bears are one step closer to suiting up for their first regular-season game on Sunday, Sept. 8, against the Tennessee Titans.
And while a handful of players likely won’t see the field much or at all this weekend against the Buffalo Bills, there are a handful of players on the Bears’ roster who, if they play well, could earn themselves a spot on Chicago’s 53-man roster.
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The Hall of Fame Game against the Houston Texans last week was rained out with most of the second half remaining, making the team’s evaluation job a bit more difficult.
This week, players who didn’t get a chance to see the reps they’d hoped for get a second chance against the Bills.
Tyson Bagent
Last season, with Justin Fields as the starting quarterback, Tyson Bagent was relatively comfortable as the Bears’ backup. In fact, he played in five games last season, starting in four.
In those five games, Bagent threw nearly 150 pass attempts, completing 65.7% of them, for just north of 850 yards and three touchdowns.
This season, he’s in a quarterback room that consists of Caleb Williams, Brett Rypien, and Austin Reed. It’s improbable that all four quarterbacks make the final 53-man roster. At most, the Bears will have three quarterbacks on the roster due to the NFL’s emergency quarterback rule.
Bagent needs to perform strongly this week because of how well Rypien played against Houston last week. Rypien went 11 of 15 for 166 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions, giving reason to believe he could be a better backup presence for Chicago.
In his limited reps against the Texans, Bagent completed 2 of 3 passes for just 16 yards. This wasn’t necessarily a stat line that blew most fans out of the water, nor does it help his case to be Chicago’s backup QB.
However, with a strong performance this week against Buffalo, Bagent’s likelihood of nabbing the backup position behind Williams could certainly increase.
Austin Booker
A fifth-round pick from Kansas, Austin Booker was seen as a potential gem of the draft for Chicago. He’s a player who needs to develop — given why he slipped to Round 5 — but he can be really special if he reaches that potential.
Booker was a two-year player, getting most of his playing time in his second season when he joined the Jayhawks. That season, Booker totaled 56 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and two forced fumbles.
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However, in his reps during the Hall of Fame Game, Booker’s performance was a bit lackluster. Booker tallied just one tackle against Houston, as his first NFL appearance featured a player who is still developing.
If he bounces back with a strong performance against Buffalo, the Booker development plan will be back on track, and he could be in a true battle with DeMarcus Walker for the EDGE spot opposite of Montez Sweat. It’s more likely that a move like that happens during the season itself, but playing well in the preseason would only help Booker.
Collin Johnson
Wide receiver Collin Johnson was a breakout player in the Hall of Fame Game, hauling in three receptions for 56 yards and two scores.
Johnson, a 6-foot-6, 222-pound receiver, is in a room of smaller-framed receivers, giving him a chance to make the roster as a true backup X receiver.
Collin Johnson goes UP for it 🔥
📺: @ProFootballHOF Game on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/QRsCXTp2o5— NFL (@NFL) August 2, 2024
Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze have plenty of space above Johnson on the depth chart, but with a playstyle more similar to theirs than DJ Moore’s, they would be the ones he likely comes in for if necessary.
Johnson’s been in the league since being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, bouncing around to two other teams the following two seasons.
After battling injuries most of his career, Johnson’s performance on Thursday night against the Texans put his name on the radar of many Bears fans and/or fans who love a good underdog story.
If he can follow up with a performance similar to last week, there’s a strong possibility that Johnson joins the 53-man roster.
Zacch Pickens
With the Bears’ defensive line having a plethora of question marks surrounding it, Zacch Pickens’ development this offseason is crucial. As a third-round pick in 2023, Pickens came into the NFL with promise but an understanding that it could take time.
Last season, he was seen as more of a rotational piece, totaling just 20 tackles and half a sack while taking 25% of defensive snaps. Last week against Houston, Pickens saw the field but was average at best. He came away with two total tackles, but outside of that, he was a bit of a no-show.
Only about half of the game was played, so this week against Buffalo — if weather permits — the Bears should get a full performance from the players who suit up.
Outside of Sweat, there aren’t many players cemented on the defensive front for Chicago. Gervon Dexter Sr. and Andrew Billings are the two slotted starters in the middle, but with Billings soon reaching 30 years old, it would play perfectly if Pickens could begin transitioning into an NFL-caliber starter besides Dexter.
There’s a strong belief that Dexter is in for a breakout season this year. And if Pickens follows suit with a strong performance against Buffalo this week in the preseason, his stock could certainly rise.
Khalil Herbert
Once the Bears decided to sign D’Andre Swift in free agency, it was clear that they didn’t see Khalil Herbert as someone who could hold down the backfield himself. However, after averaging nearly nine yards per carry last week against Houston, another strong performance against the Bills should help Herbert’s case for being the true backup.
Per the Bears’ depth chart heading into the preseason, Herbert and Roschon Johnson are interchangeable as Swift’s backup.
Herbert ended last season with 611 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, while Johnson, who is less utilized, ended the year with 352 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.3 ypc.
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There were even trade talks this season surrounding Herbert, with the Dallas Cowboys being a potential landing spot, but as the 2024 NFL season approaches, those trade talks have died down.
Swift can handle being a three-down back, but with Herbert and Johnson battling for the backup spot, playing well against Buffalo could be what gives Herbert the edge.
However, if Johnson outperforms him this week, there could be some depth chart management to the RB position before Chicago’s final preseason game against Cincinnati.