The Chicago Bears completed their preseason with a thrilling 29-27 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night. The win included a 19-point comeback in the fourth quarter and sent the Bears into the regular season on a positive note.
The next step for Ben Johnson is to cut his 90-man roster down to 53 players by Tuesday’s roster deadline. Part of that process already took place when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Bears released wide receiver Samori Toure on Sunday morning.
Bears are releasing former Packers WR Samori Toure.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2025
The move isn’t surprising as the former Green Bay Packers playmaker was buried on the depth chart. But his release could open the door for another receiver on the bubble who starred in Friday’s game against the Chiefs.
Bears May Have Opened a Roster Spot for WR Jahdae Walker
Jahdae Walker has been one of Chicago’s standouts during training camp and broke out in Friday’s win. Walker caught three passes for 37 yards and the game-winning touchdown from Tyson Bagent with two seconds to play. But he also had another highlight grab, making a toe-tapping catch on the first play of the drive.
The 22-year-old was an undrafted free agent after catching 64 passes for 935 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons at Texas A&M, but that hasn’t been indicative of his talent. A burner that ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds during the predraft process, he’s flashed occasionally including grabbing a touchdown during the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins.
But even with the preseason highlights, Walker wasn’t a lock to make the team. The Bears had two solid receivers when Johnson arrived back in January as DJ Moore and Rome Odunze are expected to be Caleb Williams’s top targets. Johnson added to that room by signing Devin Duvernay and Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency and selected Luther Burden III in the second round of April’s draft.
With Zaccheaus being one of the stars of camp and all five receivers being locks at this point of the preseason, it feels like the biggest question is whether Chicago wants to keep six receivers. While the Bears can still stick Walker on the practice squad, he’d have to clear waivers first, which may not be a given with what he’s put on tape.
The release of Toure at least clears the way for Walker to make the team and it could be one of the most intriguing decisions as the Bears approach Tuesday’s deadline.