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Amen Ogbongbemiga

Bears Activate Jaylon Johnson, Cut Roster Down To 53

August 26th, 2025 at 5:44pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bears made a flurry of move to trim their roster down to 53 players on Tuesday, per a team announcement, headlined by the activation of Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson from the physically unable to perform list.

Johnson missed all of training camp after injuring his leg during offseason training. Chicago is hoping that he can be ready for Week 1, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, but the 26-year-old still hasn’t returned to the practice field. Keeping him on the 53-man roster suggests that the team believe he has a good chance of coming back in the first four weeks of the season.

The Bears also activated Tory Taylor to the roster in a procedural move. The Australian-born punter was given an international exemption to give Chicago an extra, 91st roster spot during the offseason, but he cannot keep the exemption and remain on the 53-man roster.

Here are the rest of the Bears’ roster moves:

Placed on injured reserve (designated to return)

Waived/injured

Waived

Released

Homer appeared in 10 games for the Bears in 2024, primarily on special teams. He re-signed in Chicago this offseason and will spent a minimum of four games on the sidelines to start the year as he deals with a calf injury, per Biggs. Ogbongbemiga, also a returning special teams ace, will also be out for at least four weeks after injuring his shoulder.

The Bears tried to trade McFadden before final roster cuts, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but were unable to find a partner and waived the former Charger.

Pickens and Scott are two 2023 draft picks that will not survive the team’s coaching change. Pickett, the first pick of the third round, started three games last year and appeared in six more with minimal production. Scott, a fourth-round pick, started four games as a rookie before fading into the background with just one reception in 2024.

Richardson is a practice squad candidate after a strong training camp, per Biggs. So is Stromberg, according to Adam Jahn of CHGO Sports. The former Commanders third-round pick will provide depth at center behind Drew Dalman and Ryan Bates.

Kpassagnon followed Dennis Allen to Chicago this offseason and signed a one-year deal with no guaranteed money, making him an ideal candidate to be released and re-signed to the practice squad via a handshake agreement. That appears to be the plan, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, which will keep the veteran linemen available for early-season elevations to the active roster.

Bears To Re-Sign LB Amen Ogbongbemiga

March 6th, 2025 at 12:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

Amen Ogbongbemiga will not reach free agency. The linebacker and special teams ace has a new deal in place with the Bears, as first reported by Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo adds this is a two-year, $5MM deal. That marks a slight raise from the value of his 2023 Chicago pact and ensures he will remain in place in lieu of a free agent departure. Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports the contract can max out at $7MM. Ogbongbemiga did not start on defense in any of his 17 Bears games in 2023, but he logged a career-high 366 snaps on special teams.

The 26-year-old spent his first three seasons with the Chargers, totaling 47 appearances. He only started two of those, cementing his role as a core special teamer along the way. Ogbongbemiga signed with the Bears last March, and in 2024 he recorded 13 tackles and one sack. He will be counted on to remain a valued third phase contributor capable of handling rotational defensive duties moving forward.

Chicago has Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards atop the LB depth chart for 2025 and beyond. The team recently decided not to tender restricted free agent Jack Sanborn, a move which leaves the door open to a departure next week. Especially if Sanborn were to head elsewhere, Ogbongbemiga could be in line as a top backup option to see defensive snaps if necessary.

The Bears have been active in terms of outside additions this offseason. The team has trade agreements in place to acquire guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney, and earlier today a deal was reached to add veteran tight end Durham Smythe. Those new additions will be counted on to improve Chicago’s offense, while Ogbongbemiga will be a familiar face for the team on defense and special teams.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/24

March 13th, 2024 at 9:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Chargers Announce 10 UDFA Signings

May 2nd, 2021 at 12:52pm CST by Rory Parks

This year’s crop of draftable prospects was said to be on the thin side, so the 2021 class of UDFAs is expected to have even fewer players make the cut than usual. But you never know, and teams still have 90 roster spots they can fill throughout the spring and summer. The Chargers were among the first to announce their UDFA signings:

As with most UDFA classes, this one included several notable guarantees. Goldwire received $50K in guaranteed money, while Ogbongbemiga got a $30K guarantee (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). Goldwire earned All-ACC Second Team honors after recording 35 tackles, five TFLs, and two sacks from his nose tackle position, while Ogbongbemiga piled up 180 tackles over the past two seasons and possesses excellent speed.

Stove struggled with injuries in his collegiate career but is quick and has good hands. He caught 44 passes for 359 yards and three scores in his final season at Auburn.