Bears roster tiers: Loveland, Burden join long-term core

When the Bears signed wide receiver DJ Moore to a contract extension ahead of the 2024 season, few, if any, thought he’d spend only two more seasons with the team.

That’s the NFL these days. “Not for long” can also reflect the challenge in sticking with one team for a long time.

The Bears have only three players entering Year 7 at Halas Hall (tight end Cole Kmet, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and kicker Cairo Santos) and two players entering Year 5 (nickel corner Kyler Gordon and left tackle Braxton Jones).

Trades are more common. Teams are more willing to move on from players who don’t fit, which happens more often with regime changes, too.

That brings us to the sixth annual Bears roster tiers. Two players considered “foundational” in last year’s tiers — Moore and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds — are on new teams. The definitions for each category have become more specific because expecting someone to be a starter for more than the next two or three seasons isn’t a certainty in today’s game.

The second iteration of this exercise was general manager Ryan Poles’ first year, when only four players could be considered “foundational.” Now they’re up to 11.

Ahead of this month’s draft, this gives us a sense of which areas of the team could use an infusion of core players who will be big-time contributors and earn a second contract.

Foundational players

Starters who we’re confident will be in the lineup through at least 2027, with the potential to be around for a long time.

QB Caleb Williams, WR Rome Odunze, WR Luther Burden III, TE Colston Loveland, G Jonah Jackson, G Joe Thuney, RT Darnell Wright, S Coby Bryant, CB Kyler Gordon, DE Montez Sweat, LB Devin Bush.

It’s much better and deeper than what they’ve had in the past, and it includes several players younger than 25. This entire group has also combined for six Pro Bowl berths … and four of those are Thuney’s.

But this collection of players who are going to be on the field a lot in the next few seasons has potential, from the quarterback to the 2025 draft picks, Loveland and Burden, to this year’s prize of the free-agent class, Bryant. Hearing the way the Bears’ decision-makers talked about Bryant at the league meetings, he has what they’re looking for to be a general in the secondary for years to come.

Thuney might be 33, but he was named the league’s best offensive lineman in 2025. Jackson silenced doubters with his play. Wright was a second-team All-Pro tackle in his breakout season — even as he played through an elbow injury. Yes, Gordon battled injuries, and there will always be that durability question mark, but we know the head coach and defensive coordinator are fond of his abilities. Bush might not be a star despite the first-round cachet, but he’s coming off his best season.

Sweat is an interesting one. Maybe he gets a new contract at some point to lower his 2027 cap hit. He had stretches last season of playing like a star and finished with 10 sacks, the second-best total of his career. Can he up his game even more? That would solidify his spot here. He’s also far and away the biggest “known” at the position.

Most importantly, the Bears’ starting quarterback is undoubtedly in this tier, and we aren’t always able to say that.

Potential foundational players — potential 2027 cap casualty category

Likely starters for 2026, but high cap hits for ’27 — and for some, positional value — might limit longevity on the roster.

TE Cole Kmet, LB T.J. Edwards, CB Jaylon Johnson, DE Dayo Odeyingbo.

Each player here is in a unique spot. Coach Ben Johnson clearly valued Kmet. His blocking has improved greatly, he made big-time catches for a team that loves to go with two tight ends, and he’s a veteran presence for the offense. He has a cap hit of $11.6 million in 2027 and is going to be behind Loveland in production.

Edwards had been an iron man before injuries ravaged his’ 25 season. Next year is the last year of his contract. If the Bears draft a linebacker early, that could put him on notice.

Jaylon Johnson didn’t get a chance to play to his usual level because of groin injuries. If he plays like an All-Pro in this year, he hops back into the foundational player tier and probably gets a new deal. Otherwise, that $25 million cap hit in 2027 is tough.

And then there’s Odeyingbo, who on paper is a major free-agent bust. But he also got hurt as he was starting to come on stronger along the defensive line. Let’s not write him off yet, but he has to perform well this season, coming back from an Achilles injury, to warrant the $19.5 million cap hit in ’27.

Potential foundational players — recent draft pick category

2024 and 2025 draft picks who could move up a tier with a strong 2026 or 2027 season.

DE Austin Booker, DL Shemar Turner, OT Ozzy Trapilo.

This is reserved for young players who could jump into the team’s foundation after this season. Booker is most primed for it. He was second on the team with 12 QB hits last season despite missing the first seven games. Could he break out? Turner’s torn ACL ended his rookie season prematurely, but the coaches had found a spot for him at defensive end and Poles remains optimistic about where his ascent can lead if he’s healthy.

Trapilo’s tier likely won’t change because we have no idea what he’ll be able to contribute in 2026 coming off a patellar tendon injury, but that doesn’t mean he can’t regain the title of left tackle of the future.

Under contract for 2026, but what about beyond?

Likely starters for ’26 who are either out of contract after the season or Grady Jarrett.

LT Braxton Jones, CB Tyrique Stevenson, RB D’Andre Swift, DT Gervon Dexter Sr., C Garrett Bradbury, DT Grady Jarrett.

Jones, Stevenson and Dexter are all Poles draft picks who have found themselves on the brink of being in the foundational player category but could never get there. It’s a prove-it season for all three, as they’ll be free agents in 2027. Stevenson, in particular, has confidence from a front office that let Nahshon Wright leave in free agency.

Swift returns after a career year, but considering his position, it’s hard to project a second contract with the Bears. Though if he goes off in an offense that he thrived in last season, maybe he can stick around.

Bradbury, 30, enters his first year as a Bear and the last year of his contract and could be a bridge center for the Bears as he works to ease the workload of Williams. If he commands the line and excels with Johnson and offensive line coach Dan Roushar, he could earn a chance to return.

There wasn’t a great category for Jarrett, who’s 32 and didn’t produce at a high level last season after being slowed by an early-season knee issue. Barring a return-to-form season, he’ll be a potential cap casualty next winter with a ’27 cap hit of $16.75 million. He brings plenty of value as a leader, so let’s see if he can at least be more impactful.

Core players in non-starting positions

Players under contract for the next year or two who will contribute, mainly on special teams or as rotational players, to the ’26 team but might not be in the potential long-term-contract discussion because of their roles.

QB Tyson Bagent, RB Kyle Monangai, OT Theo Benedet, WR Kalif Raymond, DE Daniel Hardy, DT Neville Gallimore, LB D’Marco Jackson, LB Jack Sanborn, CB Josh Blackwell, CB Cam Lewis, S Elijah Hicks, K Cairo Santos, P Tory Taylor.

Nearly twice as many players made this tier as last year, underscoring Poles’ ability to add depth, especially on special teams. Bagent is considered one of the better backup QBs in football. Monangai had big-time flashes as a rookie. Benedet should only get better after getting thrown into the fire last season. Raymond and Gallimore should see decent playing time in their first season with the Bears. Jackson, Hardy, Sanborn, Blackwell and Hicks are special teams stalwarts while being reliable backups on defense.

Looking to round out the 53

A mix of returning vets and free-agent additions who will be backups and special-teamers, and some will be competing for roster spots this summer.

QB Case Keenum, RB Roschon Johnson, WR Jahdae Walker, OT Kiran Amegadjie, OT Jedrick Wills, G Luke Newman, G Jordan McFadden, DL Kentavius Street, DL James Lynch, LB Ruben Hyppolite, LB Noah Sewell, CB Terell Smith, CB Jaylon Jones, CB Zah Frazier.

This group includes several Day 3 draft picks who never made it to the starting tier but are still worthy backups and special-teamers. Walker might have the most fan hype after what he did in the late-season win over the Packers. Street is an intriguing free-agent addition for the defensive line. Newman might have the most promise. He did a nice job filling in at guard before an injury, and after playing some center last summer, could he factor in there as the next man up behind Bradbury? Wills will enter camp with some curiosity as a 2020 first-round pick at a premium position … assuming the Bears don’t use an early pick at left tackle.

For the Bears to draft well, ideally, those first three picks find themselves in the Burden/Loveland tier next year, and the rest of the draft can keep making this a deep team. As illustrated, there are going to be a lot of tricky financial decisions to make next winter with the players whose contracts run through 2027, so the more players on rookie deals who can step in, the easier it’ll be for Poles to do what the league’s top GMs have done — reload instead of rebuild and add new names to the foundation.

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