The Chicago Bears have released their initial practice squad list, and it's about what fans expected.
They got the training camp stars back in Kaden Davis and Salvon Ahmed, so everyone can be happy about that. While there are still some big questions about the 53-man roster, this practice squad list went about as well as people could have expected.
The initial list has clear winners and losers, with more signings to come for the Bears. Here's who came out on top and who didn't.
Winners and losers from Bears' initial practice squad list release
Winner: Kaden Davis, WR
Davis would have loved to be on the 53-man roster, but the Bears were never going to carry five wide receivers when they have so many injuries on defense. That ended up being the best thing for him, as he stuck around in the NFL, and the Bears know they have a weapon on offense and special teams ready to help at any time. It's a win-win situation for everyone.
Loser: Salvon Ahmed, RB
Ahmed really should be on the 53-man roster as the fourth running back or the RB3, replacing Roschon Johnson. The Bears are more than happy to have him back on the team, as it was scary to let him walk like that on the waiver wire. Everyone knows, though, that Ahmed should have been in the conversation to be on the roster instead of here.
Winner: Caden Barnett, OL
The undrafted free agent really flashed throughout training camp and preseason, showing the Bears he's got a bright future in the NFL. After so many disappointments with drafting offensive linemen, it's nice for Chicago to see an undrafted player come in and do well. He's in a good place where he can learn from the best in 2026 and prepare to make a run at the 53-man roster in 2027.
Loser: Terell Smith, CB
It really did seem like Smith was turning a corner late in training camp to try to help his chances of making the roster with a nice performance in the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans. That didn't work out for him, and he even missed the practice squad list. Injuries ultimately affected his status on the team, and the Bears, for now, appear to be moving on.
Read more: Bears only needed 24 hours to make James Lynch decision right again
Winner: Ryan Poles, GM
Only Mason Murphy was the sole player claimed off waivers who was released by the Bears. Otherwise, Poles has assembled a really nice practice squad list to start things off. He got a lot of the training camp darlings back on the team and now has some really nice depth pieces he can turn to during the season when injuries happen.
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