The Chicago Bears were defeated by the Indianapolis Colts, 24-17, where there were plenty of players who stood out — either in a good way or bad way.
Roster cuts are just around the corner, where the Bears will have to trim the roster from 90 to 53 players. Unlike last year, there is just one cutdown date, following the final preseason game, on Aug. 29.
There were a handful of players who helped their chances of competing for a spot on the 53-man roster with strong preseason outings against the Titans. And there were others who might’ve hurt their chances.
Following Chicago’s Week 2 preseason loss, here’s a look at which roster-bubble players helped or hurt their cause.
Helped: QB Tyson Bagent
Rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent has made things interesting in the battle of the backup quarterback job behind Justin Fields. Bagent replaced P.J. Walker in the second quarter against the Colts, and there was an immediate difference in offensive execution. Bagent provided a spark on offense in his only full series, leading the Bears down the field on a 17-play, 92-yard scoring drive. Bagent completed 7-of-8 passes for 61 yards with a 98.4 passer rating, capping the drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown.
Hurt: QB P.J. Walker
Walker, once considered a near-roster lock, is suddenly looking over his shoulder at Bagent when it comes to the QB2 spot. Walker has had a rough training camp and preseason, including Saturday’s loss to the Colts. Walker, who got the start against the Colts, struggled for the second consecutive game, completing 1-of-4 passes for six yards and was sacked twice. Both series that Walker led ended in punts, including a three-and-out for negative yardage to open the game. The offense looked ineffective when he led the charge.
Helped: DE Terrell Lewis
Terrell Lewis has been a difference maker throughout the summer, and he had another strong preseason outing against the Colts. One week after leading the team with two sacks against the Titans, Lewis logged the lone sack of the game for Chicago’s defense. It was a strip sack of Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger — Lewis’ second consecutive game with a strip sack. Lewis has made the most of his opportunities since joining the team, and it’s paying off for the fourth-year pro. At this point, it feels like he’s all but guaranteed a roster spot.
Hurt: DE Jalen Harris
Rookie Jalen Harris had a strong preseason debut against the Titans, where he had 1.5 sacks and three QB hits. But his stock took a hit against the Colts. While he had three tackles and one QB hit, he was ejected from the game after drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Considering Harris already faced an uphill battle to earn a roster spot in a crowded defensive line room, those kind of things aren’t going to help his case.
Helped: WR Daurice Fountain
Daurice Fountain has been impressive this summer, and he stood out in Saturday’s loss to the Colts. Fountain led the Bears with a team-high five receptions for 86 yards and one touchdown — including an impressive 35-yard score from quarterback Nathan Peterman. While Chicago’s receiving room is quite crowded, if Fountain continues to shine, he could challenge guys like Equanimeous St. Brown, Velus Jones Jr. and Dante Pettis for a roster spot.
Hurt: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
Speaking of St. Brown, the assumption is that he’s a roster lock considering his knowledge of Luke Getsy’s offense and contributions as a blocker. But that’s not necessarily the case, and his underwhelming performance against the Colts didn’t help his cause. St. Brown dropped a pass from Walker on third-and-long, and he failed to impress in limited action. He was the lowest-graded offensive player by Pro Football Focus (38.2). If St. Brown has another rough outing in the preseason finale, he should be worried.
Helped: DE Trevis Gipson
Trevis Gipson has been making the most out of his preseason games after finding himself among the bottom of the first unofficial depth chart. Gipson has been consistently generating pressure on the quarterback through these first two games. And while Gipson didn’t record a sack in this game, he continues to have an impact. Gipson leads all defenders with 12 total pressures and 9 QB hurries during the preseason, per PFF. He also has a 23.9 % pass rush win rate (7th) and 26.1% pressure rate (5th). It’s that kind of impact that could help him secure a roster spot.
Hurt: DE Rasheem Green
Rasheem Green is another surprise addition to our roster bubble list. But given the emergence of Lewis and Gipson at defensive end, Green could very well be the odd man out. While Green has been impressing in training camp practices, he didn’t stand out in a positive way against the Colts. Green didn’t force any pressure and was called for an offsides penalty on third-and-10. If he continues to struggle, that could allow an opportunity for Lewis and Gipson to pass him up on the depth chart.
