It’s been a while since the Bears dropped an updated depth chart.
Think about how much has changed since we put our eyes on the first edition of the team’s preseason depth chart. Just don’t spend too much time thinking about how much more can change in the days, weeks, and months to come. Not unless you want to dive down a rabbit hole.
Instead of going down that path, check out what the Bears depth chart looks like going into their regular-season opener against the 49ers.
(Ed. note: Bold names in CAPS are starters; names in italics are rookies)
Quarterbacks
- JUSTIN FIELDS
- Trevor Siemian
Running backs
- DAVID MONTGOMERY
- Khalil Herbert
- Trestan Ebner
Fullback
- KHARI BLASINGAME
Wide receiver #1
- DARNELL MOONEY
- Velus Jones Jr.
- Dante Pettis
Wide receiver #2
- EQUANIMEOUS ST. BROWN
- Byron Pringle
- Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Tight end
- COLE KMET
- Ryan Griffin
- Jake Tonges
- Trevon Wesco
Left tackle
- BRAXTON JONES
- Riley Reiff
Left guard
- CODY WHITEHAIR
- Lucas Patrick
Center
- LUCAS PATRICK
- Sam Mustipher
Right guard
- TEVEN JENKINS
- Ja’Tyre Carter
Right tackle
- LARRY BOROM
- Alex Leatherwood
Some notes:
After being listed as a fullback all summer, rookie Jake Tonges joins the tight ends room in an official capacity.Where Lucas Patrick is listed intrigues me. Putting him as the backup behind Cody Whitehair suggests that the Bears could roll with a Jones-Whitehair-Mustipher-Jenkins-Borom five some if Patrick isn’t healthy enough to play center. Patrick’s health is something to watch for as the week progresses.Rookies Ja’Tyre Carter (right guard) and Velus Jones Jr. (receiver) are essentially one snap away from joining Braxton Jones as rookies in the starting lineup.Placing Alex Leatherwood at right tackle behind Larry Borom has me wondering if the long-term plan is to develop the Raiders castoff as a tackle. No need to rush him into the lineup. But if Borom isn’t cutting it, there is a second-year player who was a first-round pick a year ago waiting in the wings.
Defensive end
- ROBERT QUINN
- Dominique Robinson
- Kingsley Jonathan
Defensive tackle
- JUSTIN JONES
- Armon Watts
Defensive tackle #2
- ANGELO BLACKSON
- Mike Pennel Jr.
Defensive end #2
- AL-QUADIN MUHAMMAD
- Trevis Gipson
Linebacker #1
- NICHOLAS MORROW
- Sterling Weatherford
Linebacker #2
- ROQUAN SMITH
- Jack Sanborn
Linebacker #3
- MATTHEW ADAMS
Cornerback #1
- JAYLON JOHNSON
- Lamar Jackson
- Josh Blackwell
Cornerback #2
- KYLER GORDON
- Kindle Vildor
- Jaylon Jones
Safety #1
- EDDIE JACKSON
- DeAndre Houston-Carson
- Elijah Hicks
Safety #2
- JAQUAN BRISKER
- Dane Cruikshank
Some more notes:
Trevis Gipson’s name slips down one spot on the depth chart, as he falls behind Al-Quadin Muhammad as the starting defensive end opposite of Robert Quinn. Muhammad has a history in Matt Eberflus’ system and flashed while in Indianapolis. I fully expected him to be a starting defensive end upon signing. And yet, I’m a bit disappointed that Gipson isn’t on the top line.To be clear, this doesn’t mean Gipson can’t play his way back to the top. And we’re fresh off a season in which we saw Gipson thrive as a rotational defensive end before getting a starting gig when Khalil Mack went down with an injury. In other words, I doubt we’ve seen the last of Gipson taking a meaningful chunk of snapsTwo rookies starting in the secondary? Not a problem in my eyes. Youth will be served!
Special Teams
Kicker: Cairo SatosPunter Trenton GillLong snapper: Patrick ScalesHolder: Trenton Gill, Trevor Siemian
Kick returns
- KHALIL HERBERT
- Velus Jones Jr.
- Byron Pringle
- Trestan Ebner
Punt returns
- VELUS JONES JR.
- Dante Pettis
- Eddie Jackson
Another batch of notes:
The biggest shakeup is in the return game, where Dazz Newsome could’ve secured a spot had he not muffed a pair of chances. Instead, it’s Khalil Herbert (who was KR1 for a chunk of last year before Jakeem Grant Sr. took over) and rookie Velus Jones Jr. handling duties.I’m looking forward to seeing VJJ get his hands on the pigskin by any means necessary. That it has to come on returns to start is fine by me. Humble beginnings and what not. I do hope we get to a point where Jones is so important to the offense that the Bears won’t want to use him on special teams.Eddie Jackson on the punt returner depth chart? All hands on deck!It’s still weird to see a backup quarterback listed as the backup holder. A throwback to a simpler time.