As NFL teams finalize their roster preparations ahead of the 2025 season, the Chicago Bears have made several moves to ensure they are well-positioned.
The most significant move made was officially placing defensive end Austin Booker on IR after suffering a knee injury during the preseason. Booker had four sacks in the first two games and was on fire before his injury. He will now be out for the first four games of the year.
Chicago did sign two players to their active roster with long snapper Scott Daly and wide reciever Devin Duvernay after just recently releasing them. Daly will serve as the main long snapper while Duvernay will be the Bears' return specialist.
The team also announced the waiting of linebacker Carl Jones Jr. from the roster. Jones played in just one game last year after going undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Chicago also made the following moves:
Signed to Practice Squad
- TE Nikola Kalinic
- DB Dontae Manning
- DB Gervarrius Owens
Released from Practice Squad
- LS Luke Elkin
- DB Mekhi Garner
Impact of recent roster moves for Bears
Booker is a significant loss as he was expected to have a breakout 2025 season for Chicago after just serving as a backup last year in his rookie season. He looked like a force in the preseason, including a three-sack performance against the Miami Dolphins.
The special teams for Chicago is secure with Daly and Duvernay back, but that was expected. NFL teams are playing a lot of roster gymnastics right now and that sometimes requires players to be released one day and back on the roster the next.
There's still room for moves to be made if Bears general manager Ryan Poles wants to do something. He might be able to find Booker's replacement in free agency or by trade.
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Poles has been playing things conservatively throughout training camp and it remains to be the case with a little over a week to go before the first game of the 2025 campaign.