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Chicago Bears make surprise decision in first big batch of 53-man roster cuts

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 3:45 PM ET

The Chicago Bears announced another big wave of player cuts ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline, and one name stood out as a surprise: Running back Ian Wheeler.

The state of the Bears' running back room isn't great. Aside from D'Andre Swift, Chicago's backs are a group of walking wounded. Kyle Monangai, Roschon Johnson, and Travis Homer are all dealing with injuries, and while all three could be healthy in time for Week 1, it's Wheeler who's been a reliable summer performer.

The former Howard star returned from a torn ACL last preseason to run for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. He had his juice and burst back, and with so much uncertainty on the depth chart in front of him, it seemed like Wheeler did enough to earn a roster spot.

In the end, he didn't.

So, what's next for the Chicago Bears running game?

"We're depleted a little bit in that area as you can see, and so, we got to find ways to get our guys the ball," Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said Monday. "That doesn't always have to be the running back; that can be a wideout, that can be a tight end, but we'll continue to try to get the balls and the ball in the hands of our playmakers."

The Bears placed rookie CB Zah Frazier on the non-football injury list. He has not practiced since May with what the team is calling a personal issue.

A few more cuts:

Waived
DB Millard Bradford
DL Xavier Carlton
DB Alex Cook
LB Power Echols
DB Kaleb Hayes
QB Austin Reed
RB Ian…
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) August 25, 2025

Wheeler's departure likely clears the way for Roschon Johnson to make the team, which, at this point, qualifies as a surprise. Hopefully, the third-year power back is ready to finally make good on the expectations he joined the Bears with after serving mostly as Bijan Robinson's backup at Texas.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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