In just a matter of hours, the Chicago Bears and the rest of the NFL teams will whittle their rosters down to 53 players as they prepare for the regular season. That will leave hundreds of NFL athletes without a team, and they’ll hit the waiver wire with an opportunity to be picked up by a new one. When they do, the Bears will be waiting as they have first dibs at the top of the waiver order.
Just like they had the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft thanks to having the worst record in the league, the Bears also have the first waiver spot and will keep it until Week 3 of the regular season concludes. Then, waivers will be determined by the current league records, with the worst team getting the first spot.
Last year, the Bears had the seventh spot, but that didn’t stop general manager Ryan Poles from putting in quite a few claims for players. In 2022, the Bears led the league with six waiver claims on the first day (seven in total). Will Poles top that number this year as he looks to strengthen the roster?
Before we dive into possible waiver claims for this year, let’s look back to see how the 2022 waiver claims fared throughout the season.
OL Alex Leatherwood
Alex Leatherwood was the biggest name to be claimed by the Bears last summer. Leatherwood was a surprise cut by the Las Vegas Raiders just one year after they spent the No. 17 overall pick on him. The young offensive tackle struggled during his rookie season and couldn’t win over a new regime in Vegas.
Seeing an opportunity to get a player who was a top prospect not long ago, the Bears put a claim on Leatherwood to see if he could develop while helping their questionable offensive line. Those plans were derailed when Leatherwood contracted mononucleosis and missed half of the season. He played in just four games as a reserve and never posed a threat to become a starter. Despite having two more years on his deal and being owed $4.5 million, the Bears waived Leatherwood on Sunday.
DT Armon Watts
While Leatherwood was the biggest name the Bears claimed, defensive tackle Armon Watts may have been the best name. Watts was a surprise cut by the Minnesota Vikings after having a career year in 2021. He was coming off a season with 46 tackles (three for a loss), five sacks, and two forced fumbles. It looked like the Bears found a gem when he fell to them on the priority list, especially considering their defensive line was fairly thin.
Watts didn’t have the impact many thought he might, and it turns out his 2021 season was an outlier in his career. Watts totaled 45 tackles (four for a loss) with one sack, numbers much more in line with his totals in 2019 and 2020. He had moments here and there, but Watts wasn’t much of an impact player. The Bears chose not to re-sign him, and he landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.
TE Trevon Wesco
The Bears had two tight ends that came from the New York Jets last season, but only one of them came via waivers. Trevon Wesco was cut by the Jets, and the Bears snatched him up in hopes of finding a blocking tight end. Wesco delivered in that role and helped lead the Bears to a historic rushing output.
Wesco sprung big runs for Justin Fields, David Montgomery, and Khalil Herbert at different points last season. He wasn’t much of a factor in the passing game but did catch two passes for 26 yards, not including a two-point conversion. He was a valuable pickup for the Bears, but they chose not to bring him back. Wesco ended up signing with the Tennessee Titans instead.
DL Kingsley Jonathan
Looking for more help on the defensive line, the Bears scooped up undrafted rookie Kingsley Jonathan after he was cut by the Buffalo Bills. Jonathan only saw action in a few games last season and totaled four tackles for the Bears. He was waived in mid-November and returned to the Bills, seeing action in just one game, against the Bears on Christmas Eve. Jonathan had one tackle for loss that day against his old team.
As of this writing, Jonathan is still a member of the Bills, but he could be cut for the second year in a row.
LB Sterling Weatherford
The Bears seemed to focus primarily on the defensive side of the ball with these waiver claims. They landed linebacker Sterling Weatherford after his time with the Indianapolis Colts came to an end. Weatherford was a core member of the special teams unit, playing all of his snaps there and making a nice impact. He had just four total tackles but was solid on coverage units throughout the season.
Weatherford was brought back earlier in the offseason and began camp with the team as part of a revamped linebacker room. Unfortunately, he was waived in late July.
CB Josh Blackwell
Perhaps the best of all the Bears waiver claims was cornerback Josh Blackwell. The undrafted rookie was waived by the Philadelphia Eagles and was picked up by the Bears. Like Weatherford, Blackwell did most of his damage on special teams thanks to his elite speed getting downfield. But when he needed to fill in on defense due to injuries, Blackwell showed he was up for the challenge.
The 24-year-old defensive back was solid in his lone start against the Green Bay Packers and held his own against the Bills and the Detroit Lions. He was a stud special teamer all year, totaling 23 tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He was retained this offseason, and as of this writing, he still has a spot on the roster. Barring a surprise, he should remain on the team as the backup nickel cornerback.
WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
After the initial six claims, Poles had one more up his sleeve when he nabbed wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the Vikings. The second-year receiver showed promise in his rookie year but couldn’t stick with the NFC North rival. He arrived in Chicago as the team’s WR6 but saw playing time sooner rather than later, and in critical moments too.
The play everyone remembers was in Week 5 against his former team. Fields and the offense were driving against the Vikings with a chance to win on their final drive, down seven points. Fields found Smith-Marsette for a 15-yard gain, but he had the ball ripped out of his hands for a turnover that ended the comeback and the game. Smith-Marsette lasted one more week before he was waived and totaled just that one catch. He wound up with the Kansas City Chiefs and won a Super Bowl championship.
What's the verdict?
Unsurprisingly, the Bears didn’t find any hidden stars in this bunch of players who were cast off from teams around the league. But a number of them wound up playing key roles. Watts was a starter at defensive tackle, and Wesco was utilized in 12 and 13 personnel on offense. Blackwell and Weatherford, meanwhile, were key special teams players throughout the entire season. The rest weren’t very impactful and/or didn’t see many snaps.
With the Bears holding the top waiver claim this year, they will have first right of refusal for every player who hits the wire. After Poles claimed seven players last year, he could easily look to add more this go around in an effort to make the roster as good as it can be. But it’s important to keep expectations in check. None of the players the Bears claimed last year were world-beaters, and only a few actually saw consistent playing time. No matter what happens, waiver claims aren’t going to put this team over the top. If they can find a couple guys who carve out a niche role on offense, defense, or special teams, that’s a win.
