The Chicago Bears have made plenty of changes to their roster this offseason, but the process has continued during the team’s training camp. Ben Johnson and his staff have been combing over the roster in recent weeks as they try to trim the roster from 90 players down to 53 players in advance of his first season in Chicago.
With a loaded NFC North, finding a way to improve the roster will be a difficult task. But the Bears are throwing a dart by bringing in a journeyman defender ahead of their second preseason game.
#Bears are expected to sign S Mark Perry, one of the 8 defensive backs they put through a tryout today at Halas Hall. He's been with Tennessee, Miami, New England and Houston.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) August 11, 2025
Bears Sign Journeyman Safety Mark Perry Ahead of Matchup with Bills
According to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, the Bears are expected to sign safety Mark Perry. Perry was one of eight defensive backs that worked out for the team on Monday and has been around the block playing with the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Houston Texans.
Before you assume that Perry has had a long career and brings a veteran presence to the locker room, that’s just the list of teams he’s been with since he came into the league in 2024. An undrafted free agent out of TCU, Perry began his career on the Dolphins practice squad before joining the Texans and Patriots later in his rookie year. He also was with the Titans at the start of the season but was waived back on Aug. 5.
A player with Perry’s resume doesn’t sound like someone who could make a difference, but the Bears need bodies in the secondary. Jaylon Johnson is still sidelined with a leg injury that occurred during offseason training. Tyrique Stevenson has been dealing with a calf injury. 2025 fifth-round pick Zah Frazier hasn’t reported to camp due to a personal issue, and Biggs noted that four other defensive backs left Sunday’s preseason opener against the Dolphins due to injury.
The safety position is more stable with Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard III in starting roles and Jonathan Owens and Elijah Hicks in reserve spots. But there’s still a concern since Biggs revealed that Chicago worked out eight defensive backs including Perry on Monday, likely to make sure they have enough players in the secondary for Sunday night’s game against Buffalo.
It’s another opportunity for Perry to impress the coaching staff and seize an elusive roster spot. But it could also be a sign of a concern Chicago may have as they enter the regular season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 8.