The Chicago Bears set their 53-man roster Tuesday. They spent the past several days whittling it from 90 players to 53.

Both general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson spoke with members of the media on Tuesday at Halas Hall.

Here are five takeaways from a busy day at Bears headquarters.

1. Here’s what we know about Jaylon Johnson’s status.

Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson didn’t practice at all during training camp. He showed up with a soft-tissue injury and went on the non-football injury list in late July.

On Tuesday, the Bears activated Johnson to the 53-man roster. Poles remains optimistic that a return in time for Week 1 is a realistic possibility.

“Yeah, we’re pushing for it, but it’s that fine line of making sure that we’re smart with it,” Poles said.

Poles called Johnson’s situation “day-to-day.” He noted that the star cornerback was doing some agility work with the trainers on the practice field Tuesday. He was also spotted working with the trainers at Soldier Field prior to the preseason game against Buffalo on Aug. 17.

“I know there’s a lot of questions about it,” Poles said. “It’s really not that complicated. He had a pretty good soft tissue injury before he got here.”

It’s good news that he isn’t heading to injured reserve. There will be a difference, though, between being cleared to return and being ready for NFL game action. Sept. 8 is fast approaching.

“We’re doing as much as we can to make sure that (his) conditioning is where it needs to be, but at the same time there really is no substitute for putting on pads and playing the game at full speed,” Ben Johnson said. “Each guy’s different, particularly guys that have had success in this league for a number of years. They’re a little bit different than maybe a rookie that you don’t know as much about. He does get a little benefit of the doubt.”

2. The running back cupboard is bare.

Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift leaps over Kansas City Chiefs safety Chamarri Conner during a preseason game, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

D’Andre Swift did all the heavy lifting at practice Tuesday. Well, he did all the lifting, period, except for maybe a carry here or there from receiver DJ Moore.

Swift was the only running back on the practice field.

“Yeah, I just knew not to look around for help today,” Swift said. “Just got my work in today. It was a good conditioning day, put it like that.”

The team waived Brittain Brown and placed Travis Homer (calf) on injured reserve with a designation to return. Roschon Johnson (foot) and Kyle Monangai (soft tissue) made the roster but are still sidelined by injuries. That left only Swift at practice.

Poles was optimistic that Johnson and Monangai would be ready by Week 1, but he also didn’t rule out exploring the running back market.

“I feel good about their timelines,” Poles said. “Kyle’s coming along. Over the next few days, you’ll probably see the practice field look a little different. I’ve got a lot of faith (that) those guys will be ready to go. If they’re not, we’ll still look out and see if there’s guys that can help us.

“With Ben’s creativity, who knows who will be lined up back there?”

3. Other injury updates of note.

Chicago Bears quarterback Case Keenum hands off the ball to running back Travis Homer during training camp at Halas Hall on July 25, 2025 in Lake Forest. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

NFL teams were allowed to place two players on injured reserve with a designation for return ahead Tuesday’s roster deadline, essentially giving them the option to keep 55 players. The Bears placed Homer and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga (shoulder) on IR with a return designation. They must miss at least four games before returning.

The Bears placed rookie cornerback Zah Frazier on the non-football injury list on Monday and Poles announced that Frazier will be out for the remainder of the season. The nature of his injury is unclear.

“He had a situation that presented itself in a category that I would say (is) personal,” Poles said. “As we dug into it, tried to help him out, it revealed itself as something that happened before he got here. So credit to our staff finding the root cause of what he was going through.”

Poles noted that Frazier will be in meetings and working with the trainers throughout the season. Frazier, a fifth-round draft pick out of Texas-San Antonio, did not practice with the team at all during camp.

Cornerback depth will continue to be something to monitor for this defense, especially with Jaylon Johnson’s status still up in the air. Kyler Gordon (hamstring) has been back at practice in a limited capacity. Terell Smith (knee) went down with a season-ending injury last week. That has opened an opportunity for newcomers like Nahshon Wright and Nick McCloud.

In other injury news, defensive end Dominique Robinson and linebacker T.J. Edwards both exited practice Tuesday with apparent injuries.

4. ‘All day’ Jahdae Walker makes the roster as an undrafted rookie.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Jahdae Walker reacts to getting a first down during the second half of an NFL preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

The undrafted rookie receiver out of Texas A&M had a strong enough camp to push out Tyler Scott, for whom the Bears spent a fourth-round draft pick in 2023.

Poles said Walker’s ascendence made letting Scott go “difficult.”

“We have to stay true to competition and true to talent, not where guys were drafted,” Poles said. “So I’m proud of that.”

Walker led all Bears players in the preseason with two receiving touchdowns, including a game-winning score against the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished with eight receptions for 98 yards.

“‘All Day’ Jahdae,” Rome Odunze beamed. “That’s the man, man.”

Odunze added that his fellow receiver — and his underdog story — has helped energize the team.

“Every single day he comes in and works tremendously hard and he’s got that chip on his shoulder,” Odunze said. “So he went out there and made plays, obviously, versus the Kansas City Chiefs — offense, special teams, all those different things.

“So, it’s really an awesome story, to be honest.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/26/chicago-bears-ryan-poles-ben-johnson-jaylon-johnson/