The Bears’ didn’t play their starters in their fourth and final preseason game of the year. Many second stringers had a limited snap count, too. That combo makes for a difficult time finding true “roster risers.” Many of the guys who played against the Chiefs on Thursday won’t make the 53-man roster so it would feel disingenuous to list them here. Heck, a couple of the guys I did include might be fighting for practice squad spots at this point. But these three players have either played well enough to rise up the depth chart, or at least give head coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles a lot to think about as roster cuts loom.
AUSTIN BOOKER - DEFENSIVE END
There was never any doubt that Booker would make the 53-man roster this year, but it was unclear how much he would contribute. Booker has impressed throughout the preseason and training camp, and has started earning some tick with the first-team defense in some specific pass rush packages.
On Thursday, Booker finished with just one tackle, but made a much bigger impact than the box score would indicate. He continued to pressure the quarterback in the pass game, and was rarely far from the ball in the run game. Booker’s one stop came after he shot through a gap to tackle a running back right at the line of scrimmage.
REDDY STEWARD - SLOT CORNER
When Kyler Gordon hurt himself earlier this summer, Steward was in the middle of a robust competition for slot corner snaps with Josh Blackwell and Greg Stroman. Recently it’s looked like Blackwell has pulled ahead on the depth chart, but Steward clearly isn’t done fighting for the backup job. He was the breakout performer against the Chiefs with two interceptions, including one pick-six. Steward made another big stop on a third-down play that won’t make highlight reels. He pierced the backfield on third-and-one and combined with Amen Ogbongbemiga to prevent a first down.
The Bears secondary is one of the most stacked units on the team, so there may not be space for Steward even though he’s impressed as an undrafted free agent.
Chicago Bears
IAN WHEELER - RUNNING BACK
Like Steward, Wheeler has been an impressive UDFA this summer. And like the DBs room, the RBs room is so crowded already, Wheeler might not be able to break through to the 53-man roster. He sure gave it his all in the preseason finale, though.
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Wheeler was the second RB in the game on Thursday, behind Travis Homer and in front of Velus Jones Jr. It helps that he wasn’t the last man on the bench. His stats are pretty ugly– five carries for five yards and no catches– but his two best plays were erased by penalties. One was a 15-yard screen catch and run. The other was a nine-yard touchdown catch on a scramble drill that was nullified because Brett Rypien threw the ball beyond the line of scrimmage.
Wheeler suffered a knee injury during the game. Depending on how serious it is, it could essentially end his roster bid.
VELUS JONES JR. - WIDE RECEIVER / RUNNING BACK
Jones Jr. is probably the hardest guy to project for 53-man roster predictions. On one hand, his hands on special teams have remained a problem. On the other, he’s continued to show that he can be an explosive player with the ball in his hands.
To try to help Jones Jr. succeed, the team shifted him to running back halfway through the summer. He looked like he’d been rushing his whole career on Thursday. The most impressive carry for Jones Jr. was a 39-yard touchdown scamper where he followed his blockers perfectly to the outside, then cut back inside to seal the deal. He went completely untouched in the process.
Jones Jr. had another 33-yard rush and a 23-yard rush that was erased by a holding penalty. He finished the day with 13 carries for 111 yards and the one touchdown. Coaches are sure to love the two tackles he made, too. One came in kickoff coverage. The other was after the Chiefs recovered a John Jackson fumble.
