The Chicago Bears’ roster, long a work in progress under a new regime, is suddenly deep enough that last year’s draft picks and established special teams contributors are no longer guaranteed a spot. Following the 2026 NFL Draft, a wave of surprising cut candidates has emerged, signaling a shift in organizational philosophy from development to performance.
The Bears are no longer a team that can afford to carry projects or underperforming draft picks simply because they were selected a year ago. Head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles have built a roster with legitimate competition at nearly every position group, and the margin for error has evaporated. Players who once felt safe are now squarely on the bubble.
Linebacker Ruben Hippolyte, a fourth-round pick just one year ago, is perhaps the most stunning name on the list. The Bears invested significant draft capital in him, but the linebacker room has transformed into one of the deepest units on the team. Devin Bush is a lock. TJ Edwards is either on the roster or traded, but he will not be cut due to his contract structure. Demarco Jackson is firmly entrenched. Keshan Elliot, a fifth-round pick, is a soft lock. That is four players already.
If the Bears keep only five linebackers, the battle comes down to Hippolyte and Jack Sanborn. Sanborn is a proven special teams ace, a role the coaching staff values highly. Hippolyte was a healthy scratch for most of last season, meaning the team did not trust him on special teams either. That is a glaring red flag for a player at the bottom of the depth chart. The Bears are too good now to keep a player who cannot contribute on coverage units. Hippolyte faces a massive summer, and his roster spot is far from guaranteed.
At cornerback, Terrell Smith finds himself in a precarious position. He played a decent amount during his first two seasons, splitting time with Tyrique Stevenson at the second cornerback spot. But the last 12 months have been unkind. Smith tore his ACL, and Nhan Wright had already surpassed him in the pecking order before the injury. Now the Bears have drafted Malik Muhammad, who is expected to make the team. Jaylen Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, and Malik Muhammad are locks. Josh Blackwell is the team’s best special teams player and will not be cut. That is five corners.
Smith is in a contract year, and this coaching staff did not draft him. They have no loyalty to him. Zay Frasier and Jaylen Jones are also in the mix, and the Bears could opt to keep younger, cheaper players with more upside. Smith will have to return from his ACL injury and prove he deserves a spot. It is not a given.
The offensive line is another area where surprising cuts could happen. Guards Jordan McFaden and Luke Newman are both on notice. McFaden started the playoff game against the Rams last season and played well, but he did not initially make the 53-man roster. He was signed mid-season due to injuries. Newman was a draft pick last year and has some positional versatility, having taken reps at center in camp. But the Bears have added depth through the draft and undrafted free agency.
Kaden Barnett, an undrafted free agent known as the Vanilla Gorilla, is a major threat to both players. Barnett was rated as a fifth-round talent by some analysts and received $277,500 in guaranteed money from the Bears. He has over 30 starts in college at both tackle and guard, and his athletic testing was excellent. The Bears love his potential in their outside zone scheme, and he offers scheme diversity for gap runs as well. Barnett is a high-priority practice squad candidate at minimum, but he could easily push for a roster spot. If the choice is between a veteran minimum player with three years of control and a draft pick who has not separated himself, the Bears may opt for the younger, cheaper option.
Jaylen Jones, a special teams standout, also faces an uphill battle. He has been with the Bears for his entire career, but the cornerback room is now crowded with six or seven players competing for spots. Jones’s value is almost entirely on special teams, and Josh Blackwell is a better special teams player. The Bears drafted Malik Muhammad to develop as a cornerback, and they need him to play special teams as well. If the team decides to keep only one special teams-only corner, Jones could be the odd man out. He could get squeezed out by younger players the coaching staff wants to develop.
Other notable cut candidates include former third-round pick Zacch Pickens, who appears to have no clear path to the roster. Roshon Johnson, a running back, was considered a draft winner because the Bears did not select a running back, but he could still be cut. Defensive linemen Contavia Street and James Lynch face challenges from rookie Jordan Vandenberg and undrafted free agent Jaden Loving, who received a significant signing bonus. Zay Frasier, who missed all of last season due to injury, is also not guaranteed a spot.
The Bears have done well with undrafted free agents in recent years. Tyson Bagent made the roster. Josh Blackwell is a core special teamer. Jack Sanborn and Jaylen Jones have contributed. But the roster is now deep enough that even a strong UDFA class does not guarantee a spot. The Bears signed several intriguing undrafted players this year, including Barnett, and they have the contractual control to keep them for multiple years at low cost. If a veteran or a recent draft pick does not outperform these rookies, the Bears will not hesitate to make a change.
The shift in philosophy is clear. In the first two years of the Poles regime, the Bears kept draft picks simply because they were draft picks. The team was not winning, and they needed to develop young talent. Now, the Bears are expected to compete for a playoff spot. The roster is too good to carry players who cannot contribute immediately. Every position group has legitimate competition, and the coaching staff has no allegiance to players they did not select.
The summer ahead will be critical for these players. Training camp and preseason games will determine who stays and who goes. The Bears have built a roster that can absorb losses, and they will not hesitate to cut a player who does not perform. The days of guaranteed roster spots for recent draft picks are over. The Bears are a team on the rise, and only the best players will survive.
For Hippolyte, Smith, McFaden, Newman, and Jones, the message is clear. They must prove they belong. If they do not, they will be looking for a new team. The Bears have moved on from the rebuild. They are building a winner, and that means tough decisions are coming. The surprise cut candidates are not just speculation. They are a reality in a roster that has finally achieved the depth that contenders require.
