Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.

How active do you anticipate the Bears will be claiming players off the waiver wire following final cuts next week?
Brian P.
Oswego, Illinois

It's going to be very interesting to see, but I think the Bears and other teams, generally speaking, could be more active than usual claiming players off waivers (and signing veterans who are released) because final cuts are due by 3 p.m. CT Tuesday, which is four days earlier than past years. That will give teams more time to pick up new players and get them ready for the start of the regular season. Final cuts were moved up after the NFL eliminated the fourth and final preseason weekend this year (while also adding a 17th regular season game).

Are the Bears going to use Saturday's preseason finale to test how game-ready left tackle Jason Peters is for the regular season?
Paul K.
Oregon

Not entirely, but Saturday's preseason game in Tennessee should give the Bears a pretty good idea of how much conditioning Jason Peters will need over the next two weeks leading into the regular season. The 39-year-old signed with the Bears last Thursday, but he sat out last Saturday's preseason game against the Bills and just completed his first full week of practice. Here's what coach Matt Nagy said about whether the Bears will decide whether Peters is game-ready based off Saturday's contest against the Titans: "We're not going to determine it by Saturday. We're going to see where he's at to give us a gauge so that the rest of the time that we've got to prepare for the Rams, that's where he's going to have to continue every day to work on his conditioning and game shape. We'll get a good feeling of where he's at when he's out there [Saturday], and we're going to rely on him—he's a guy that's played a lot of games and he can tell us, 'OK, percent-wise this is where I'm at.' And we've just got to be prepared heading into [the season opener] where he's at and how much he can go or not go." Nagy ideally would want the same player to take all the snaps at left tackle in the season opener, but the Bears will be prepared should they have to rotate two individuals into the game.

How does the waiver system work?
John L.
Lansing, Michigan

Through the first three weeks of the regular season, teams are awarded waiver claims based on the inverse order of the previous year's standings. In other words, it's the same as the draft order. Beginning with Week 4, it changes to the current standings. So, the Jaguars are first, followed by the Jets, Texans, Falcons and so on. The Bears, who had the 20th pick in the draft before trading up to select quarterback Justin Fields at No. 11, are also 20th in the waiver order.

Chalk Talk features fan questions multiple times each week. Email your question to Larry.