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Bears-Titans Joint Practice Preview + 53-Man Roster Predictions | Chicago Sports Tonight
Fox Chicago's Cassie Carlson is joined by Dan Wiederer of The Athletic at Halas Hall as the Chicago Bears gear up for their second joint practice of the preseason against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. The top story from practice: All-Pro right tackle Darnell Wright left Tuesday's padded practice with trainers tending to his right arm. With the left tackle spot between Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet still unresolved, any time missed by Wright creates massive troubleshooting across the entire offensive line. Plus, the crew breaks down Ben Johnson's coaching points for Caleb Williams following his deep-shot choice to Colston Loveland on 1st-and-20. Finally, Cassie and Dan look ahead to Sunday's tight 53-man roster cutdown deadline, evaluating bubble players like wide receiver Kaden Davis, running back Roschon Johnson, and an impressive defensive tackle group featuring rookie Jordan Vandenberg.
It was a shorter day at Halas Hall on Wednesday. But, there were still important developments for the Chicago Bears.
Tough decisions have to be made eventually. The coaches need to determine the team's opening day, roster soon, and this week will go a long way leading up to cut-down day.
It’s a day that has never gotten easier for some coaches in the league.
"It's the worst day in the National Football League," Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. "I don't think anybody would shy away from that, and especially in an organization like ours where we truly care immensely about people, and we get attached to these guys. At the end of the day, it's still a business and we can only have 53 guys on the roster."
Here are the most important developments from Wednesday that could play into determining final decisions for the Bears 53-man roster this weekend.
What we know:
In a positive turn, Luther Burden III participated in the Bears’ walk through on Wednesday. He didn’t participate in team drills, but it’s encouraging to see him back all the same.
This directly aligns Burden to return in time for the season opener on Sept. 13, which is a boon for the Bears’ offensive weapons.
Right tackle Darnell Wright was present and worked with the offensive line in positional workouts. He left Tuesday’s practice favoring his right arm.
That bodes well for Wright, and the Bears offensive line. It was a lighter day, so the real test is Thursday’s joint practice against the Titans. If Wright participates with the first-team offense, that’s a great sign that he’ll be ready to play to start the season with a week in between the end of Bears’ training camp and Week 1.
Also around Halas Hall, Keshaun Elliott and Elijah practiced with the team for the first time in camp.
What we don't know:
Defensive linemen Gervon Dexter Sr. and Austin Booker were not present at Wednesday’s shorter practice.
Dexter left practice on Tuesday and didn’t return. Booker wasn’t present at all on Tuesday.
Like Wright, their participation on Thursday will go a long way in determining their status. If those two defensive linemen don’t practice on Thursday, there’s a good chance they won’t play in Saturday’s preseason finale.
Big picture view:
It’s assumed Burden won’t participate in Thursday’s practice or play Saturday. If Wright doesn’t participate Thursday or play on Saturday, Theo Benedet will most likely get those first-team right tackle reps.
That’s good experience for Benedet in case Wright misses an extended period of time.
For the Bears, Booker’s absence would most likely mean Dayo Odeyingbo gets more work opposite Montez Sweat. Odeyingbo, who missed most of the 2025 season with a torn Achilles, will have more chances to work with the first-team and establish himself as an integral part of the Bears’ pass rush rotation.
If Dexter continues to miss time, that only helps rookie Jordan van den Berg. The staff is already enamored with him, his approach to the game and how he’s playing on the field. His performance against the Bengals, which included a leaping tackle attempt on a player going out of bounds, has stood out.
"He's a beast," Bears coach Ben Johnson said Tuesday. "This guy, he's an incredible athlete, and he's still learning the game of football to a degree, and yet it's amazing what he brings to the table."
This is massive for van den Berg, who has played himself into an opportunity for the Bears.
"He's firmly in the mix," Johnson said.
The Source: The information in this report was gathered by Fox Chicago's Chris Kwiecinski, who observed Bears training camp at Halas Hall and the pre-practice Q&A sessions the Bears' coaching staff.