Chicago Bears roster battle: Bubble players to watch during preseason finale

The Chicago Bears will play the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 preseason finale on Thursday night and with most of the starters expected to rest, it’ll be a final audition for those looking to make the final cut. NFL roster cutdowns take place in less than a week and for players at the bottom of the team, this game could make or break their chances to stick around.

Ahead of Thursday night’s finale, here are five players who are must-watch to see if they can grab a roster spot.

QB Brett Rypien

The Bears may wind up only keeping two quarterbacks with Caleb Williams as the starter and Tyson Bagent as the solidified backup. If Rypien plays well and outshines undrafted rookie Austin Reed, he could force the team’s hand to keep a third at the position. Bagent has played well enough to win the backup job but Rypien’s value could be as the veteran voice and leader of the quarterback room.

RB Ian Wheeler

There seems to be a solidified stable of running backs on the team with D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Khalil Herbert, and Travis Homer, who likely makes the roster for his special teams impact. The lead trio will carry the running offense but with the recent inclusion of Velus Jones to the backfield, Wheeler will need to have a spectacular performance to get on the 53-man roster.

RB/WR Velus Jones Jr.

This may be a list-ditch effort for Jones to make the team. Having been mostly unproductive as a wide receiver thus far in his career, Jones has found success after switching to running back this preseason. It still may not be enough, though. The team will have to justify having Jones on the team, whether it be as a receiver or running back. With very limited production throughout his entire Bears tenure, Jones could very well be on the chopping block despite being a third-round pick just two years ago.

WR Dante Pettis

Dante Pettis is a man who has made the most of his opportunities when called upon this preseason, including his two-touchdown performance against Cincinnati. With the top of the wide receiver chart locked down by D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze, there is an opportunity for Pettis to prove he belongs in the receiver room. If he follows up last week with another outstanding display, Pettis could not only make the team, but become a valuable member to the offense when needed.

LB Noah Sewell

A fifth-round pick last year, Noah Sewell is certainly facing an uphill battle to make the final cut. The main knock on Sewell has been injury history, causing him to miss time on the field. The most impact he’s made thus far has been on special teams and with linebackers Amen Ogbongbemiga and Micah Baskerville standing out this preseason, Sewell could be looking for a new team in just his second professional season. It would be difficult to justify keeping a guy with the injury history he has had, but a big game against Kansas City could change the narrative for him.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Chicago Bears roster battle: Bubble players to watch