Bears’ most agonizing roster decision looming on 2026 cutdown day

The Chicago Bears’ most difficult roster decision may come down to a player who never sees the field on opening night. With Caleb Williams certainly comfortable in Ben Johnson’s offense and the starting units beginning to take shape, Chicago’s roster picture is becoming clearer by the day. Yet the battle for the final running back spot has refused to follow that script. Roschon Johnson and Salvon Ahmed have created a fascinating collision between reliability and explosiveness. This will force general manager Ryan Poles and Johnson to decide exactly what they value most from the bottom of their offensive depth chart.

Pressure points

Chicago enters its exhibition finale against Tennessee holding a 1-1 record. They opened the slate with a thunderous 34-10 rout of the Cleveland Browns. In their second outing against Cincinnati, the starting offensive unit finally made its live debut. A leaner and lightning-fast Williams engineering an efficient opening scoring drive before the reserves took the reins in a 27-9 exhibition setback. Across two full weeks of live snaps and intense joint sessions, the Bears have witnessed fierce position battles. However, while starting lineups have naturally crystallized, the back end of the depth chart remains a pressure cooker.

That is particularly true in the backfield. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai have established themselves as the leading options. This has left the coaching staff to determine whether there is room for a third traditional running back. If there is, Johnson and Ahmed are fighting for it. Neither has made the decision easy.

Collision course

Roschon Johnson has long offered the type of dependable versatility coaches love in a reserve back. His physical running style gives the Bears an option in short-yardage situations. His pass-protection ability also provides important insurance for Williams. That latter trait could prove particularly valuable in an offense expected to place significant responsibility on the quarterback.

A running back who can recognize pressure, step into a blitz and keep his quarterback upright does not always produce spectacular preseason statistics. Still, those snaps can determine whether an offense stays on schedule or loses a possession.

Johnson also brings meaningful special-teams value. The ability to contribute beyond offense can be the difference between making the 53-man roster and becoming a practice-squad candidate.

Ahmed, however, has attacked the competition from an entirely different direction. His summer has been defined by the ability to create space in a hurry. Ahmed’s explosiveness gives Chicago a legitimate home-run threat from the backfield.

Protection vs burst

Keeping Roschon Johnson would represent the safer choice. He understands the physical demands of the offense and gives Chicago another body capable of grinding out difficult yards. There is also a locker-room component that should not be dismissed. Johnson’s reputation as a high-character contributor makes coaches trust him in difficult situations.

On the flip side, Ahmed’s athletic upside presents an equally compelling argument. The Bears need a player who can provide a different dimension. Ahmed’s burst potentially gives the offense another way to punish defenses that overcommit to Williams, Swift, and Chicago’s motion-heavy concepts. His receiving ability only strengthens that argument.

In Ben Johnson’s offense, a running back who can take a simple screen or checkdown and transform it into an explosive gain can force defensive coordinators to account for every inch of the field. Ahmed has shown enough during the preseason to make that possibility increasingly attractive.

Waiver-wire gamble

Of course, Chicago cannot simply cut one player and quietly bring him back later. If Ahmed continues to showcase explosive ability, running-back-needy teams around the league will have every reason to put in a waiver claim. That makes exposing him to waivers a genuine gamble.

The same is true, albeit for different reasons, with Johnson. His pass-protection expertise and special-teams value could attract teams searching for a dependable third-down back. Chicago could therefore lose either player without receiving anything in return.

For Poles and Ben Johnson, that makes the final decision much more consequential than a simple RB3 designation. They are effectively deciding which skill set they can most afford to lose.

Defining choice

Ultimately, Chicago must choose between systemic security and explosive upside. Roschon Johnson is the player who makes the offense safer. Ahmed is the player who potentially makes the offense more dangerous.

For a team trying to establish itself as a legitimate NFC contender, that intriguing distinction matters. The argument for Johnson is built around trust. The argument for Ahmed is built around ceiling. And if the Bears believe their championship window is opening now, ceiling may ultimately win the debate.

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