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Bears Put $5.9 Million Draft Pick on Notice Amid Cut Speculation
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- Bears Put $5.9 Million Draft Pick on Notice Amid Cut Speculation
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson. Getty
Kiran Amegadjie could be on his last legs with the Chicago Bears amid his third NFL training camp, but he hasn't run out of chances to make the team just yet.
Amegadjie — a 2024 third-round pick — is fighting for his place in the Bears' offensive tackle rotation this summer coming off an unimpressive first two seasons in the league.
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He played 125 offensive snaps, primarily at left tackle, during his 2024 rookie season, but he struggled immensely with his responsibilities. He then suffered an elbow injury in September 2025, forcing him to spend most of his second season on injured reserve.
Over the past few weeks, though, Amegadjie has begun taking snaps with the first-team offense at left tackle while Braxton Jones has been sidelined. And while Jones returned to limited participation at practice on August 13, the Bears have continued to toe the line between hyping up Amegadjie and putting him on notice about his roster security.
"I've seen improvement from last year, and yet there's still glimpses of where we need the consistency to be a little bit better," Bears head coach Ben Johnson said August 13 of Amegadjie's progress in camp. "I love where he's at, though. He's working hard. He's got a better understanding of the offense — that's clear. And you can tell his confidence level continues to rise each practice he's out there."
Kiran Amegadjie Will Start in Bears' Preseason Opener
Amegadjie doesn't have an easy road to making the Bears' initial 53-man roster. While the left tackle job is squarely up for grabs until Ozzy Trapilo returns from last January's major injury, his competition for the role includes a former three-year Bears starter in Jones and a former top-10 overall draft pick in free-agent addition Jedrick Wills . Jr.
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To his benefit, though, Amegadjie will get first crack at playing left tackle for the Bears when they open the preseason against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, August 15.
"We'll start Kiran first quarter, and we're looking to alternate him and Jedrick throughout that game based on the quarters," Johnson said Thursday. "We'll hopefully get an equal number of snaps for those guys and we'll continue to re-assess where we're at at that position as we go."
The Bears could be deciding between Amegadjie and Wills when initial roster cuts are made in roughly two weeks. Even if they both lose the starting job to Jones, Trapilo is likely to begin the season on the injury list, creating a depth opening for one of them.
Wills is far more experienced than Amegadjie, with 57 career starts at left tackle to his name from his first five seasons with the Browns. As Johnson pointed out, though, the others have an advantage over him after spending a full season in his offensive system.
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"I keep going back: How well can he pass protect one-on-one?" Johnson said of Wills. "Well, he's got the traits, long arms. He's able to mirror pass rushers, and so it's all there. It's just a matter of consistency right now, and familiarity with what we're doing. He's a little bit behind the other guys just because he hasn't been in the system for a year."
Cut Predictions Have Begun for Kiran Amegadjie
Amegadjie might still be in the race for the left tackle job, but doubt and speculation about his roster security have already started to spread among several NFL analysts.
In recent 53-man roster projections, the BearsWire and Sports Illustrated both had the Bears leaving Amegadjie off their initial 2026 roster, keeping Wills and backup right tackle Theo Benedet instead and cutting the cord with their 2024 third-round selection.
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Bleacher Report's Moe Moton also identified Amegadjie as the "most likely" roster cut for the Bears between now and the start of the 2026 regular season on September 13.
"General manager Ryan Poles expects promising second-year offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo to be out for most of the season while on the mend from a ruptured patellar tendon," Moton wrote August 14 . "So, Braxton Jones will likely start, and Wills can provide veteran insurance. If Benedet is the primary swing tackle option, Amegadjie's roster outlook is shaky at best."
The Bears could save a small chunk of cap space if they were to waive Amegadjie during the roster cutdown. While his rookie contract carries a total value of about $5.9 million, they would save about $1.33 million of his $1.61 million cap hit with his camp release.
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