This browser does not support the Video element.
Bears Gameday Live: Are the Bears' preseason rankings correct?
There's plenty of excitement around Chicago for Bears' football. The rest of the nation doesn't share the same view, however. Cassie, Anthony and Lou debate if the Bears' preseason power poll rankings too low, or too high.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For the third time since 1994, the Chicago Bears finished undefeated in the preseason.
On Thursday evening, the Bears' starters didn't play but there were still things to takeaway from the 34-21 win.
Here are our takeaways from the Bears' preseason finale against the Chiefs.
The Bears' running back rotation
From the start, Roschon Johnson, Khalil Herbert and D'Andre Swift did not dress for Thursday's game. That left Travis Homer, Ian Wheeler and Velus Jones Jr. to tote the rock.
Homer got the first set of carries. He dropped a pass on fourth down that would have moved the chains. That wasn't the interesting part.
Wheeler got the next set of carries after Homer, not Jones. Jones, who has been tried at running back along with receiver to see if he could create more value to go along with his special teams production.
Jones, whose ferret Crash got plenty of mention on Hard Knocks, got most of the carries in the second half, including a 39-yard pitch play that he took to the house and led the Bears in rushing with over 100 rushing yards on the night.
Wheeler, who was also a Hard Knocks star, had five yards on five attempts.
Jones was a fringe roster player, but after Thursday he might have done enough in practice and with live game reps to prove he deserves a roster spot as one of fastest players on the Bears' roster.
That decision comes Tuesday.
Fringe defensive backs make plays
There's no better way to get noticed than to make plays, especially on the last preseason game.
Reddy Stewart got that message.
He intercepted two passes in the first half, taking one back for a touchdown.
This isn't Stewart's first example of how he can create turnovers, either. He was creating them in camp, intercepting Caleb Williams earlier this summer.
Doing it twice on Thursday, both in meaningful situations, bodes well for his roster chances. His first interception ended a red zone threat that kept the Chiefs out of the end zone.
Reddy wasn't the only one. Adrian Colbert made a pure hustle play on a third down.
On 3rd and 11 from the Chiefs' 30-yard line, Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun had Kadarius Toney wide open. That is, until Colbert tracked back and dove to break up the pass with one hand.
It was a good play from a veteran trying to clinch a roster spot at safety behind Elijah Hicks, Jonathan Owens, Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker.
Tarvarius Moore also made a clutch play on a fourth and one earlier in the game, forcing a turnover on downs. Sorting through that defensive back room will be difficult, but that's a good problem for Ryan Poles to have.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 22: Tyler Bagent #17 of the Chicago Bears motions at the line of scrimmage during preseason game action against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on August 22, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Ph …
The quarterback depth chart should be set
Tyson Bagent lasted two drives, leading one for a touchdown. Then, Brett Rypien got in.
Austin Reed got his opportunities, but the Bears' quarterback room seems set. It should look like:
- Caleb Williams
- Tyson Bagent
- Brett Rypien
- Austin Reed (practice squad)
Bagent has shown an improvement in how he runs Shane Waldron's offense from the Hall of Fame Game. His five-yard scramble for a touchdown was impressive and showed off his athleticism.
Rypien has shown plenty of understanding of Waldron's offense, too. He led a two-minute drill that included a sideline bomb to Tyler Scott that set up a field goal late in the first half.
That's all you can ask for from the third-stringer and NFL journeyman that, honestly, you hope never has to play a snap for the Bears this season.
That's why it's important to have Reed on the practice squad. Reed might not be ready for a NFL roster now, but his production and experience in college is a sign he could grow into a player the Bears could roster as a backup later in his career.
In a perfect world, Williams plays every snap and is perfectly healthy. That's never really the case in a physical game.
Having four quarterbacks around the team is staying ready in case anything happen, while also looking toward the future.
Injuries hit the Bears
After avoiding injuries in the first three preseason games, the Bears had two injuries Thursday night that didn't look good.
Larry Borom, a swing tackle out of Missouri, was carted off the field in the first quarter. N'Simba Webster, a receiver who had three receptions for 68 yards Thursday, was also carted to the locker room.
Losing Borom might loom large for the Bears. He's the back up left tackle behind Braxton Jones, meaning the Bears need to find Jones' back up.
That might be Kiran Amegadije, who was activated off the non-football injury list this week and could fit there. Amegadije said he'll play anywhere the Bears ask him to play.
It might have to be left tackle backing up Jones.
The scariest part of the game was Douglas Coleman, who needed to be carted off the field with a backboard behind him.