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Final Bears roster update leaves fans torn between hope and rage

We've got good news and bad news.
Ryan Heckman
Ryan Heckman

Bear Goggles On

Chicago Bears, Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams / Michael Reaves/GettyImages

As the deadline passed for the Chicago Bears to finish making all of their roster moves and trim the team down to 53 players, a couple of notable storylines arose.

On a positive note, cornerback Jaylon Johnson was added to the active roster without an injury designation. That news comes as a massive relief for fans who wondered whether or not he would be OK to play in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings.

On a negative note, though, the Bears placed running back Travis Homer on injured reserve with designation to return. Chicago also practiced with only one healthy running back on Tuesday in D'Andre Swift, which is reason enough to sound a minor alarm.

The Bears' initial 53-man roster and latest updates signal more moves are coming

This could be the most obvious of all obvious takes, but the Bears are going to make a move at running back. With Homer on injured reserve and both Kyle Monangai and Roschon Johnson currently banged up, the team has absolutely no other choice. They have to add a running back to the room.

As for Johnson, he did do some agility work at practice on Tuesday. Now, this doesn't mean he is a lock to play Week 1. But, it's a great sign and should offer fans hope that he's trending in that way.

The Bears are going to need him right away, too, as he'll be charged with keeping tabs on Justin Jefferson. Fortunately, Jefferson might be the only wide receiver the Bears have to worry about as the Vikings are also down Jordan Addison (suspension) and will likely be down Jalen Nailor (injury).

That's not to say Jefferson is going to be easy to manage. He's not. However, with Johnson on the field, that gives the Bears exactly what they need.

Back to the running back conversation, real quick. It would be shocking if the Bears didn't make a move there, soon. Barring something we do not know, like both Monangai and (Roschon) Johnson coming back to practice this week, the Bears have only one option: sign reinforcements.

Ryan Heckman

Ryan Heckman

Ryan Heckman is a Lead NFL Editor for FanSided, covering all 32 teams across the league. Ryan has covered various leagues and teams dating back to 2012, with experience covering both the NFL and NBA. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated among other publications. He loves Jesus, family, and the NFL in that order. If he isn't writing, Ryan is spending time with his wife and kids, drinking coffee or lifting weights.