These 3 Bears are fighting for their lives to make 53-man roster

NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by 4:00 pm ET on Tuesday.

For the players who have been battling throughout training camp and the preseason, this time of the year is a stressful one. Being a member of the Chicago Bears organization will come to an end for most, while others will either continue their time in Chicago or bounce around the league.

It’s not an easy time for the players and their respective families.

For the Bears, three players stand out as key to navigating this period of uncertainty: offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie, defensive end Daniel Hardy, and wide receiver Jahdae Walker.

General manager Ryan Poles and the Bears’ coaching staff only have a few days left to determine the fate of the three players mentioned above and many more.

Let’s make the case for Amegadjie, Hardy, or Walker to stay in Chicago.

Kiran Amegadjie

The simplest reason to keep Amegadjie is that he was just drafted in the third round in 2024. That’s a significant commitment for the organization, and cutting him a year later may just be too soon to give up on the 23-year-old offensive lineman out of Yale.

However, Amegadjie has dealt with injuries in his rookie season and throughout training camp, which have clearly impacted his development. Ozzy Trapilo, a 2025 second-round draft pick, passed him on the depth chart with the backups at left tackle before he was eventually moved to right tackle. Now, former undrafted offensive lineman Theo Benedet has solidified himself as the backup left tackle.

Amegadjie isn’t in the best situation as the fourth left tackle on the team, but does Poles allow him to show growth in his second year, and is there simply enough room to have him on the team? We’ll know those answers soon.

Daniel Hardy

Last Friday’s preseason game against the Chiefs was a strong showing for Hardy, demonstrating that he can be a valuable asset to the Bears' roster. He forced a fumble late in the fourth quarter, which led to a Bears touchdown.

He also impacted a third-and-seven play on the Chiefs' next possession with a good pass rush that led to an incomplete pass.

Outside of the performance against the Chiefs, Hardy provides special teams value. What is working against him is his size. At 6-foot-2, 255 pounds, he isn’t the typical build for a defensive end in Dennis Allen’s scheme. That’s why the coaching staff wanted to cross-train him at linebacker.

The question is, did Hardy show enough to this new staff to earn himself one of the 53 roster spots?

Jahdae Walker

It’s hard to argue how Walker could’ve had a better preseason. The 6-foot-3, 206-pound receiver from Texas A&M caught eight passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner against the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night, to help give the Bears a 29-27 victory.

Walker also made the final tackle on special teams to officially end his big night against Kansas City.

In these past two weeks, Walker has taken advantage of his opportunities in the preseason. There’s no doubting that, but to solidify a potential roster spot, it’s about the entire body of work. What has happened on the practice fields, film room, etc? If that matches up in the coaches’ eyes with his game performance, then Walker has a shot to make the 53-man roster.

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A talented wide receiver does make it tough for Walker to make the team, but he created positive momentum at the right time to make it a challenging cut for this staff if that’s what ends up happening.