The Chicago Bears could be about to make a major investment to build out coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense.

A year removed from using Chicago’s first two picks in the NFL Draft in pass catchers to accelerate quarterback Caleb Williams’ development, and shopping at the top of the market to fortify the offensive line in front of him. This offseason could see general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears deploy similar resources to significantly upgrading the defense.

Chicago Bears linked to Peter Woods in the NFL Draft

Over at ESPN, NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid projects the Bears will add 315-pound run-stuffing defensive tackle, out of Clemson, Peter Woods, with the No. 25 overall pick.

“The Bears badly need a disruptive defensive tackle,” Reid writes for ESPN. “So let’s give them my top-ranked player at the position. Despite not having the 2025 season that many envisioned (30 tackles and two sacks), Woods still showed plenty of Round 1 flashes. He’s a bouncy athlete at 6-foot-3, 298 pounds who fits best as a 3-technique. His ability to create quick wins from the inside as an explosive penetrator is something that is sorely lacking in Chicago.”

Last season, Woods produced 30 total tackles with two sacks, posting five sacks through his collegiate career, and could be the kind of interior game-wrecker who frees up the linebackers to swarm tot he football, as the Seahawks’ defense built a reputation for doing on its way to powering a Super Bowl win last month.

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The Chicago Bears‘ defense could be about to see some significant turnover when free agency begins.

Few positions pose more critical questions for general manager Ryan Poles and Chicago than at safety, where veterans Jaquan Brisker, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Jaquan Brisker are all set to become unrestricted free agents when the new NFL league year begins this month.

However, the Bears are reportedly closing in on keeping one of their star safeties from hitting the market.

Chicago Bears trending towards re-signing Kevin Byard, report says

According to ESPN 1000’s David Kaplan, signs seem to be pointing towards the Bears bringing Byard back, potentially before free agency begins.

“Kevin Byard I was told by somebody who would know, that he is 70/30 that he’s going to be a Bear,” Kaplan says. “They’re working on it. They’re trying to get a deal done that’s fair for both sides. How do you not give this guy a raise? I know he’s in his 30s, but he’s First Team All-Pro. Played in an amazing level. And then you’re gonna have to pair him probably with a young safety unless there is a veteran out there that they can make a deal to take on some of his money, or perhaps there is a veteran safety that gets released for salary cap reasons.”

The Bears originally signed Byard to a two-year contract worth $15 million, and he became a driving force behind the secondary’s success, particularly last season.

Byard pulled down a league-leading seven interceptions in 2025 and would likely be among the more sought after safeties if he reaches free agency, but it sounds like the Bears are working to prevent that from happening.

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ first season playing in head coach Ben Johnson’s system was a rousing success.

Williams powered the Bears to a franchise record seven comeback victories, nearly became the first quarterback in franchise history to pass for 4,000 yards in a season, and was a catalyst to a postseason run that ended in overtime of the NFC Divisional Playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams, just two victories shy of a Super Bowl appearance.

Johnson has big plans for Williams and the Bears in 2026.

How Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears aim to maximize Caleb Williams

Johnson seemed to open up the playbook as last season went along, and there’s no telling what kind of new concepts the second-year head coach will install for Williams and the offense when the Bears get back on the practice field later this spring.

Last season, Williams completed just 58.1 percent of his passes while setting a new career high with 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns to seven interceptions.

As rookies Colston Loveland and Luther Burden become more familiar with the offense, and life as NFL players, Williams’ heroics, escapability and clutch performances might once again be critical for the Bears in 2026.

“We as a coaching staff take a lot of pride in trying to get the primary guy open,” Johnson told reporters during the NFL Combine, of Williams. “If we are able to do that, he’s going to come through and he’s going to make that throw.

“And then if we can’t do that for him from a coaching perspective or a play-calling perspective, then he has the ability to make us right. That’s his magical talent — he can be the ultimate eraser for us. So really it’s the balance between the two.”

Williams’ raw athleticism and arm talent give the Bears’ passing game a chance for success even when the play falls apart.

If Johnson and Williams, along with the Bears’ receiving corps, get themselves even more on the same page in 2026, the ceiling for this offense may rise significantly pretty quickly in their second season together.

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Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore has been the subject of rampant trade speculation since moments after the 2025 season ended with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Even after the salary cap was raised by upwards of $20 million by the NFL, the Bears still have less than $1 million in cap space, and trading Moore would create an additional $16.5 million in spending flexibility for general manager Ryan Poles and Chicago to work with, while triggering a $12 million dead-money charge.

How the Chicago Bears could replace DJ Moore

In some ways, Moore became expendable this past season thanks to rookie wide receiver Luther Burden and first-round pick Colston Loveland’s emergences in quarterback Caleb Williams’ supporting cast as reliable big-play threats in the Bears’ passing game.

If the Bears do move off Moore, there could be an ideal replacement available in the 2026 NFL Draft.

According to Pro Football Focus analyst Dalton Wasserman, part of the Bears’ ‘ideal’ NFL Draft haul would be adding UCONN wide receiver Skyler Bell in the third round.

“Receiver is a wild-card position for the Bears, too,” Wasserman points out for PFF. “If D.J. Moore is traded, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see Chicago draft a wideout — after all, the team double-dipped at pass-catcher last April. Bell enjoyed a career season with UConn, registering an 85.1 PFF receiving grade with 8.2 yards after the catch per reception while playing both inside and out.”

Bell is a big play threat, catching 101 passes for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Huskies last season, and could be a versatile piece for head coach Ben Johnson to deploy either from the slot or on the perimeter for Williams and the passing game.

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Few positions across the Chicago Bears‘ roster are in more need of an infusion of quality depth with upside than along the defensive line.

Whether it’s adding a dominant pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat, or prioritizing emerging with the premier run-stuffer in this year’s NFL Draft class, look for general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears to give coordinator Dennis Allen a disruptive force up front to help lift the entire defense.

Chicago Bears urged to add Akheem Mesidor

In CBS Sports NFL analyst Ryan Wilson’s latest mock draft projection, the Bears emerge with one of the potential steals of the first round; Miami defensive tackle Akheem Mesidor, with the No. 25 overall pick.

“I don’t care that Mesidor will be 25 before he plays his first NFL snap,” Wilson writes for CBS. “If he’s anything like he was in 2025 for Miami, the Bears will get five fantastic seasons out of him and can decide ahead of the 2030 season whether he’s worth a second contract. For now, Montez Sweat is ecstatic.”

Mesidor is a 6-foot-3 and 280-pound matchup nightmare along the interior, who produced 12.5 sacks with 63 total tackles and four forced fumbles.

If Poles’ and the Bears’ offseason blueprint includes spending big in free agency or in the trade market to add a pass rusher followed by selecting a game-wrecker like Mesidor who is capable of bolstering the pass rush all on his own, Chicago could have the makings of one of the more dominant front-sevens in the league.

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Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles may be about to go on a mission to create cap space.

Even after the NFL announced that the salary cap would be rising for the 2026 season, Chicago currently sits as much as $11 million over the cap before free agency and the new league year begins, which could force Poles into some difficult decisions just to get under the cap.

D’Andre Swift predicted to be Chicago Bears’ biggest cap casualty

One way that Poles and the Bears can make some significant headway towards getting cap compliant is by moving on from veteran running back D’Andre Swift.

Over at Pro Football Focus,  NFL analyst Thomas Valentine put together a list of the most likely player to be released by each team, predicting that the Bears move off Swift in the days ahead.

“D’Andre Swift had the best season of his career in 2025,” Valentine points out for PFF. “The former Eagles and Lions running back rushed for a career-high 1,217 yards and 10 touchdowns this past season, earning a career-best 83.0 PFF grade that placed ninth among running backs. Despite that, he could still be a cut candidate.

“Swift is set to make $7.5 million in 2026, the final year of his contract, but the Bears could save $7.4 million by moving on from him. Chicago’s offensive line is one of the best in the NFL, and it can drop a cheaper option in behind that bunch. Swift would likely get interest on the open market after a strong campaign.”

Given the dire cap straits that the Bears find themselves in, combined with seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai far surpassing his draft-slotting with a stellar rookie season could make a Swift return to Chicago a longshot.

Still, removing one of the most explosive weapons from quarterback Caleb Williams’ arsenal could be too detrimental a pill for Poles and the Bears to swallow, which could lead to an attempt to restructure Swift’s deal to move money around rather than moving on completely.

Either way, Swift’s future is one of the top  storylines to watch for the Bears in advance of the offseason beginning in earnest.

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The Chicago Bears could be about to overhaul the defensive line.

With Gervon Dexter’s name circulating in trade rumors just after the NFL Combine, along with a need to add quality depth up front to bolster Chicago’s run-defense, it wouldn’t be surprising to see general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears prioritize selecting a defensive tackle early in April’s 2026 NFL Draft.

Chicago Bears’ target Kayden McDonald opens up about what powers his game

Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald has frequently been linked to the Chicago Bears in various mock draft projections this spring, and he could be the kind of interior pass rusher who becomes a significant upgrade along coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense.

“I pride myself on being a complete player,” McDonald said, during an appearance on the Between The Hashmarks Podcast. “On early-downs, I gotta stop the run, and on third downs, I push the pockets. If I can’t get there, I get my hands up.

“The way I can take my game to the next level is turning my pressures into sacks, and give my offense the chance to get the ball, go down the field, and score to win. That’s how I’m going to turn my game up once I get to the league.”

McDonald, 6-foot-3 and 326 pounds, is the rare breed of player who is as dominant against the run as he is collapsing the pocket and generating pressure up the middle on opposing quarterbacks.

Last season, McDonald produced a career-high 65 total tackles with three sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

And, while McDonald takes significant pride in stopping the run, the former Ohio State standout says he boasts a deep repertoire of pass rush moves as he aims to become a “complete’ Player at the next level.

“I’ve got a couple,” McDonald said, of the moves in his pass rush tool box. “I’ve got a quick-swim move, and a power rush to my club rep.

“Just, really, I play off my effort. You watch the film, you know those four-quarter games, in the biggest games, I show up, and I show up at a high level.”

With the draft looming and the interior of the line in flux, McDonald’s ‘big game’ pedigree could be exactly what the Bears need to transform a weakness into a definitive strength in 2026.

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There have been rumblings of a potential Chicago Bears reunion with dominant edge rusher Khalil Mack when free agency begins, to fill a glaring need on coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense.

However, those plans might need to be put on hold, given that GM Ryan Poles and Chicago have limited cap space and may be more inclined to invest a top draft pick on a young edge rusher rather than go shopping at the top of the free agent market.

Chicago Bears predicted to lose out on Khalil Mack to the rival Detroit Lions

Much like the Bears, the Lions have a pressing need to add an edge rusher opposite All-Pro Aidan Hutchinson.

Over at ESPN, NFL analyst Aaron Schatz put together a list of an ideal free agent signing for every team across the league, including Detroit signing Mack out from underneath the Bears, a potential nightmare scenario not just for Allen but quarterback Caleb Williams, as well.

“The Lions’ top need is finding pass-rush help for Aidan Hutchinson,” Schatz explains, for ESPN. “So why not aim for an established veteran at that position? Despite sitting out five games in 2025 because of an elbow injury, Mack still finished with 5.5 sacks and 28 pressures.

“Detroit isn’t swimming in cap space, but it should be able to convince Mack to take a pay cut so he can chase a Super Bowl ring. Mack’s former Chargers teammate Joey Bosa would also fit the bill if he doesn’t return to Buffalo.”

Mack, 35, is unquestionably on the back-end of his career and could be out to chase a ring with his next contract, but is still a productive edge presence.

Last season, Mack produced 5.5 sacks and has produced 34.5 sacks in his four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Mack played four seasons with the Bears, from 2018 through the 2021 campaign, posting 36 sacks, but Chicago may struggle to outbid fellow contenders to make a Windy City revival part of Mack’s future.

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The NFL released the updated salary cap ahead of the 2026 league-year beginning, and free agency getting underway next month, and it couldn’t possibly be better news for the Chicago Bears.

According to the league’s release, the salary cap is rising to $301.2 million for each team, which represents a $22 million total increase from where it was projected to be, previously.

How much cap space do the Chicago Bears now have?

For general manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears, this couldn’t be better news, coming at a better time.

After Friday’s update, the Bears are currently projected to have approximately $68,996 in cap space, a marked improvement from previously sitting upwards of $5.3 million over the cap.

While Poles and the Bears still have some work to do to create the kind of spending flexibility necessary to compete for some of the top free agents this offseason and to have on hand for Chicago’s incoming draft class, the front office won’t be forced into any draconian cuts simply to get cap compliant before free agency kicks off.

The league-wide cap spike has effectively handed the Bears a clean slate, setting the stage for a high-stakes free agency period where they actually finally play offense with their finances in the weeks ahead

.

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The Chicago Bears may struggle to keep some of the most consistent veteran contributors across the roster this offseason.

Given that Ryan Poles and the Bears currently sit upwards of $5.3 million over the cap, there are going to be some difficult decisions to make and some players may wind up elsewhere in 2026.

Homegrown star safety Jaquan Brisker may be one of those players.

Pittsburgh Steelers linked to signing Chicago Bears’ Jaquan Brisker

Few positions could see more turnover on the Bears’ roster than at safety, where Brisker, Kevin Byard, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson are all slated to become unrestricted free agents next month.

Over at ESPN, analyst Aaron Schatz suggested an ideal free agent signing for each team, including the Steelers inking Brisker to a deal when the new league year begins.

“Last season’s safeties in Pittsburgh are free agents with the exception of DeShon Elliott,” Schatz writes for ESPN. “And, if you want to consider him a safety, Jalen Ramsey. That’s why the Steelers need to attack this packed safety free agent class.

“Brisker can play deep or in the box, and he’s a hard-hitting safety who will fit the Steelers’ defensive personality. He missed 12 games in the 2024 season due to a concussion, but he had at least 90 combined tackles in each of his three healthy NFL seasons. Over his career, Brisker has recorded seven sacks, four interceptions and four forced fumbles.”

Last season, Brisker had a strong season, producing 52 total tackles with one sack and one interception, but after being chosen No. 48 overall by the Bears in the 2022 NFL Draft, the former Penn State standout could be on cusp of a Keystone State return or be playing elsewhere in 2026.

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The Chicago Bears could be on the cusp of a defensive overhaul.

General manager Ryan Poles and the Bears have granted linebacker Tremaine Edmunds the ability to seek a trade, reports say defensive lineman Gervon Dexter is reportedly drawing interest from teams across the league, and Chicago has three free agent safeties that the front office and coaching staff must decide how to handle, currently sitting upwards of $5.3 million over the cap.

likewise, in all likelihood, the Bears are about to spend big on the defensive side of the ball to build a complementary unit to head coach Ben Johnson’s offense that has seen a significant infusion of talent around quarterback Caleb Williams over the past two offseasons.

Chicago Bears’ Ryan Poles reveals what he’s looking for in defensive players

While the Bears led the league in takeaways in 2025, adding talent at all three levels of the defense will likely be Poles’ top priority this offseason.

As the NFL Combine gets underway, Poles says he has four key attributes that any prospect the Bears are evaluating in the NFL Draft or free agency must have before getting on Chicago’s board.

“Motor, relentlessness, violence, explosiveness,” Poles told reporters, via CHGO, adding: “I want to improve our defensive speed overall.”

By prioritizing these ‘violent’ and ‘explosive’ traits, Poles is signaling a clear shift toward a faster, more aggressive defensive identity intended to terrorize the NFC North.

As the Bears look to potentially move on from established veterans and navigate a tight cap situation, their success in 2026 will hinge on finding new anchors who can match the high-octane standard already set by Ben Johnson’s offense.

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The Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Poles could be among the more active teams looking for pass rush help this offseason.

After all, Montez Sweat produced 10 sacks this past season, his first playing in coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense, but the veteran edge presence represented nearly a third of Chicago’s 35 sacks as a team.

While Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek sounded intent on trying to keep Maxx Crosby, during his media appearance at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, the All-Pro pass rusher has said he wants out, and could become one of the most coveted players at the position in the weeks ahead.

Trading for Maxx Crosby would cost a huge price for Chicago Bears

Throughout the early stages of this offseason, the Bears have been linked to Crosby as one of the top potential fits and destinations, despite Chicago currently sitting upwards of $5.3 million over the salary cap.

According to one NFL executive, any team trading for Crosby may have to pay a steep, steep asking price.

“If I were the Raiders,” a former NFL general manager and current front office executive tells Between The Hashmarks, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about a player on another team. “The asking price would start at two first-round picks. Especially because the contract he has left is a pretty good deal.

“Then, I would let teams respond, but I would start with a high asking price and negotiate from there.”

Crosby, 28, posted 10 sacks last season and has 69.5 to date through the first seven seasons of his NFL career.

The asking price the former general manager outlines is similar to the package the Green Bay Packers sent the Dallas Cowboys (two first-round picks and defensive lineman Kenny Clark) in exchange for All-Pro Micah Parsons.

As the Bears navigate their tightest cap situation in years, Poles must decide if one blue-chip game-wrecker is worth more than the depth he could build through the draft and free agency. Whether they pivot to a blockbuster trade or stick to their homegrown blueprint, the choice made in the coming weeks will define the identity of Chicago’s defense for the Ben Johnson era.

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The Chicago Bears‘ secondary is likely going to look a lot different next fall.

Sure, three of the Bears’ starting safeties are set to become free agents, but general manager Ryan Poles, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, and head coach Ben Johnson could look to make a major upgrade at cornerback, in hopes of bolstering the secondary in 2026 and beyond.

Chicago Bears’ Tyrique Stevenson named NFL’s worst perimeter cornerback

Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson appeared in 13 games last season, starting 10, before ultimately being replaced.

It’s easy to see why.

According to Pro Football Focus, Stevenson, who produced 49 total tackles with just two pass breakups, ranked as the NFL’s worst boundary cornerback in the league last season.

“Stevenson made three appearances in the weekly wide receiver matchups column,” Nik Bodiford writes for PFF. “Yielding overall half-PPR WR15, WR25 and WR30 results. Stevenson was eventually relegated to a rotational perimeter role after midseason shoulder, calf and hip injuries jeopardized his availability, while his teammates enjoyed successful rehab programs. The underperforming cornerback earned a 66.2 PFF defense grade, buoyed by an 83.2 PFF run-defense grade, ranking 31st and seventh, respectively, among 71 NFL cornerbacks with at least 600 defensive snaps.

“Opposing quarterbacks relentlessly picked on Stevenson, who freely surrenders fantasy-friendly yardage productivity.”

When Stevenson got beat last season, he got beat on big plays, allowing 15 explosive passing plays, which ranked 58th among NFL cornerbacks.

Given that the Bears need to do some heavy lifting to get under the salary cap — currently sitting upwards of $5.3 million over the cap, it would make sense for Chicago to move on from Stevenson, which would create $3.6 million in cap space while triggering a dead money charge of $422,637.

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The Chicago Bears are shopping veteran defensive lineman Gervon Dexter, according to a report from NFL Insider Jordan Schultz.

While upgrading the defensive line, and adding quality depth at the position is likely near the top of Bears general manager Ryan Poles’ offseason priority list, clearing up cap space in the immediate future might take precedent.

Currently upwards of $5.3 million over the cap, Poles and the Bears can create approximately $1.66 million in cap space by trading Dexter before June 1, and the former second-round draft choice could see a strong market full of contenders looking to beef up along the line of scrimmage.

Best trade fits for Chicago Bears’ DL Gervon Dexter

Last season, Dexter produced 21 tackles while adding a career-high six sacks, playing in his first season in Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s system.

Given Dexter’s propensity for stopping the run on the way to rushing the passer, it isn’t surprising that the rising 24-year-old would be drawing interest across the league.

Baltimore Ravens 

After hiring former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as head coach, the Ravens are looking to establish an identity on defense, and fortify a line of scrimmage that buckled down the stretch last season, on that side of the ball.

Cincinnati Bengals 

Given quarterback Joe Burrow’s prime isn’t getting any younger, and Cincinnati’s dreadful performance on defense the past two seasons, look for the Bengals to make a significant investment on rebuilding that side of the ball this offseason. After allowing a league-worst 147.1 rushing yards per game, adding a space-eating run-stopping defensive lineman like Dexter could be a major first move for GM Duke Tobin and the Bengals.

Atlanta Falcons 

Last offseason, the Falcons redoubled their efforts to improve their pass rush by selecting edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. With Pearce facing significant legal trouble off the field, stemming from a domestic violence arrest, and the Falcons struggling against the run, snagging Dexter could fortify a defense that needs to continue adding playmakers.

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Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent has been the talk of Indianapolis.

As the NFL Combine kicks into gear, the quarterback market has taken center stage, with impending free agents such as Malik Willis, Daniel Jones, and others potentially set to cash in because of a lackluster class of incoming rookies at the position. Against the backdrop of nearly a dozen teams potentially shopping for a quarterback this offseason, Bagent is a player the Bears have sounded open to trading in the weeks ahead.

One report suggests that Chicago might already have an offer in hand for Caleb Williams’ backup.

Arizona Cardinals make Chicago Bears a Tyson Bagent trade offer, report says

As new Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur aims to build out an offense around former first-round draft choice Marvin Harrison Jr. at wide receiver, finding a quarterback or stocking a deep quarterback room could be a top priority.

According to a report from PHNX Cardinals, Arizona has offered the Bears a day-three pick in the 2027 NFL Draft that could become a third-round pick, if Bagent reaches a certain number of starts this upcoming season.

Apparently there's been an offer made for Tyson Bagent… It comes from the AZ Cardinals. Nope. Just cough up a 3rd, no contingency. #DaBears pic.twitter.com/E0L9p0n7Ck

— Da Bear In Vegas (@BearinVegas) February 26, 2026

Whether Bagent ultimately becomes a starting quarterback elsewhere, or a bridge to a quarterback that some team aims to draft this spring remains to be seen.

But, as the quarterback market continues to sizzle in Indianapolis, the Bears find themselves in the enviable position of holding a high-value asset in a low-supply year.

While Poles has built a reputation for “doing right” by his players, much like he did with Justin Fields, the leverage created by a lackluster rookie class and a desperate Arizona team could push the return for Bagent well beyond the typical price tag for a backup.

It sounds, though, like Bagent’s market is already taking shape.

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The Chicago Bears‘ rookie class was among the most prolific across the NFL this past season, and as the league descends on Indianapolis and the NFL Combine, general manager Ryan Poles and the front office will look to outdo themselves ahead of April’s 2026 draft.

One of the Bears’ diamonds in the rough, running back Kyle Monangai, vastly outplayed his draft slotting as a seventh-round selection and became a critical piece of not only Chicago’s backfield rotation but a driving force of one of the league’s most dominant ground games last season.

Chicago Bears’ Kyle Monangai’s advice to incoming NFL rookies

ESPN surveyed several rookies from this past season for their biggest piece of advice for the prospects aiming to stand out during the Combine and boost their stock ahead of the NFL Draft, including some strong wisdom from Monangai.

“Find the small advantages, because everybody’s good when you get here,” Monangai told ESPN. “Even the guys that don’t start, they’re probably the best athletes you’ll ever see.

“So find the small 1%, 2% advantages you can find, because I think those are what separates you since everyone for the most part is on the same talent level, except the freaks like Myles Garrett.”

Monangai managed to parlay whatever advantages he found last season, into a strong 783-rushing yard and five touchdown campaign, making a significant impact for the Bears.

The former Rutgers standout is the living proof that a draft grade is just a starting point, not a ceiling.

As Poles and his staff return to Indianapolis this week, Chicago isn’t just looking for the next ‘freak’ athlete; they’re searching for the next 1% player who can turn a seventh-round flyer into a cornerstone of Chicago’s identity.

And the players they’ll be scouting undoubtedly hope to follow in Monangai’s footprints from unheralded prospect to key rookie contributor.

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It’s a great year to need a safety, which just so happens to potentially be the biggest hole that general manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears must fill across the roster.

Given that Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson are all slated to become unrestricted free agents next month, Poles and the Bears may need to prioritize adding help at safety early on in the NFL Draft, even if Chicago manages to bring back one of its veteran stars at the position.

Chicago Bears linked to Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman

Over at CBS Sports, NFL analyst Garrett Podell put together a mock draft projection just as the NFL Combine kicks off, linking the Bears to rising Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.

“The Bears are set to see safeties Kevin Byard, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Jaquan Brisker hit free agency,” Podell points out. “Thieneman can save Chicago some money at the position. He’s versatile with an ability to line up in the slot, back deep and in the box. He’s an efficient mover who can close on the ball well thanks to quick plant and drive technique. Thieneman has good instincts in the run game, and he’ll use them to fly into the path of opposing ball carriers. He does a lot of things well, which makes him an ideal NFL safety in 2026.”

Thieneman is rising up the rankings, currently projected by some outlets as the No. 3 ranked safety in this year’s class, after producing 92 total tackles with one sack and a pair of interceptions last season.

If the Bears are looking to reset the financial clock at safety and give coordinator Dennis Allen a versatile chess piece who can thrive in deep coverage as well as up near the line of scrimmage in run support, Thieneman could be a top prospect to watch for Chicago at No. 25 0verall.

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The Chicago Bears have done a masterful job overhauling the offensive line in front of quarterback Caleb Williams over the past several offseasons, and now have a big decision to make on one of their homegrown talents up front.

Darnell Wright is eligible to have his fifth-year option exercised this offseason, extending the Bears’ control over their former first-round pick for one more year before having to decide whether to sign him to a long-term contract extension.

Wright’s option is set to cost approximately $20.5 million, for a franchise currently sitting upwards of $5.3 million over the cap ahead of free agency getting underway, it creates quite a dilemma.

Chicago Bears predicted to exercise Darnell Wright’s fifth-year option

Over at Pro Football Focus, NFL analyst Thomas Valentine put together a list predicting each team’s fifth-year option decision, including the Bears accepting Wright’s in the months ahead.

“His game has always been predicated on what he can do in the run game,” Valentine writes for PFF. “Wright is one of the best people-movers in the business, using his power and athleticism to seal the edge, create rushing lanes, get out in space and dominate defenders. Since entering the league in 2023, Wright’s 82.2 PFF run-blocking grade is ninth among offensive tackles.

“Wright’s pass-blocking has improved over the last three seasons, too. His sacks allowed from 2024 to 2025 dropped from six to three, and Wright gave up six fewer pressures on almost 80 more pass-blocking snaps. Further, his 3.6% pressure rate surrendered was the seventh-lowest in the league. Wright has cemented himself as the Bears’ right tackle of the present and the future.”

A Second-Team All-Pro selection in 2025, the former No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft continues to cement his status as one of the Bears’ building blocks up front for an offense that is steadily accumulating explosive skill players around one of the more exciting young quarterbacks in the sport.

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In what is widely viewed as a down quarterback class in the NFL Draft, and a mediocre crop of veterans about to become free agents, the Chicago Bears could be big-time beneficiaries as the market takes shape.

Now that Caleb Williams is entrenched not just as the Bears’ starting quarterback but quickly becoming one of the brightest young stars at the position across the league, Chicago’s backup quarterback, Tyson Bagent may be one of the more coveted veterans for two handfuls of teams going shopping at the position in the weeks ahead.

Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson opens up about Tyson Bagent trade speculation

As the NFL Combine gets underway in Indianapolis, Bears head coach Ben Johnson opened up about the decision to possibly trade Bagent this offseason.

“I love Tyson and that’s one that kind of pulls at your heartstrings a little bit because he’s someone that you care about so deeply, and he’s a hell of a football player that at some point you want to see him have a chance to do it himself,” Johnson told reporters.

As the market heats up, the question isn’t whether Bagent is capable of leading an NFL franchise, but which team will be the one to pay the price to find out.

In an offseason where quality signal-callers are at a premium, Bagent represents more than just a reliable backup, he’s a prime trade chip for a front office looking to maximize its assets.

With the Combine buzz only growing, the Bears find themselves in the enviable position of holding the keys to a market that is increasingly desperate for an answer at the position.

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One of the Chicago Bears‘ top offseason priorities has to be building out the talent across the defense.

If Chicago is serious about building a defense that can be a complementary force to what Caleb Williams and the offense have developed into, adding a dominant edge rush presence opposite Montez Sweat is likely among the biggest needs Poles must fill.

Chicago Bears’ Ryan Poles bullish on NFL Draft edge rushers

As the NFL Combine got underway in Indianapolis, Poles addressed the media, and struck an optimistic tone about the depth along the front seven in this year’s class.

According to Poles, this is a great draft to be shopping for an edge rusher.

“From what we know now,” Poles told reporters, “I would say the edge is deeper than the interior.”

Poles, and everyone else, is about to get a far clearer picture of this year’s draft class during the Combine, not just from the results of the on-field drills but in the prospect meetings about to take place across Indianapolis.

After producing just 35 sacks as a team, with Sweat accounting for 10 of them, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see Chicago take one of the edge rushers Poles seems optimistic about sometime in the early rounds of April’s NFL Draft.

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The Chicago Bears may need to go to some creative lengths to create cap space in the weeks ahead.

Currently sitting at upwards of $5.3 million over the cap, general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears could look to release some high-priced veterans, restructure other contracts, or even trade a productive contributor, such as wide receiver DJ Moore, who has been the subject of rampant trade speculation since Chicago’s season ended in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Chicago Bears’ Ryan Poles acknowledges DJ Moore trade speculation

Speaking Tuesday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Poles stood firm in the Bears’ belief that Moore is a major part of head coach Ben Johnson’s offense and key to quarterback Caleb Williams’ continued ascent, but left the door wide open to any possibilities.

“We want him here,” Poles told reporters. “We think highly of him. But, this is the time now where we have to look at all the scenarios that will allow us to put the best team out there.”

After catching 50 passes for 682 yards and six touchdowns last season, Moore’s name has consistently come up as a player who could potentially be moved in a trade, which Poles didn’t downplay.

If the Bears trade Moore, the move would create $16.5 million in cap space this offseason, while triggering a $12 million dead-money charge.

It sure sounds like that spending flexibility to build up other positions across the roster is something Poles would value.

“He’s a guy we want here,” Poles said. “But we have to look at all the scenarios.”

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Given the Chicago Bears‘ current salary cap situation, pivoting off of veteran running back D’Andre Swift and reseting the salary clock at running back by investing a draft pick in the position could be a sound strategy for general manager Ryan Poles.

This week in Indianapolis, fortunately for Chicago, there’s at least one running back with the potential to jumpstart his draft stock and could play his way onto moving up the Bears’ board and creating some interesting conversations internally about Swift’s Windy City future.

Could Chicago Bears target Kaytron Allen?

One of the running backs who has the potential to turn heads this week during the NFL Scouting Combine is former Penn State standout Kaytron Allen.

The Nittany Lions, as a program, have built a reputation over the past decade of overperforming expectations during the on-field drills in Indianapolis, and if Allen follows in their footsteps could separate himself as an ideal Day 2 target for the Chicago Bears, if Poles moves on from Swift.

Allen, 5-foot-11 and 217 pounds, averaged 5.4 yards per carry across his four seasons in Happy Valley, including surpassing 1,000 rushing yards each of the past two seasons and posting 43 total touchdowns.

A bruising between the tackles back with next-level acceleration, Allen could be the ideal complement alongside Kyle Monangai in a Bears backfield of the future, especially if Chicago moves on from Swift which would create $6.9 million in cap space while triggering a dead-money charge of $1.8 million if he’s designated as a post-June 1 release.

How Allen performs in the on-field drills at the Combine could determine just how high the Bears may need to target Penn State’s all-time leading rusher, should they have a need at running back to fill later this spring.

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The Chicago Bears might be able to keep one of their top impending free agents from hitting the market, after all.

Despite general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears currently sitting upwards of $5 million over the salary cap before the new league year and free agency begins, Chicago appears to have interest on keeping one of its most prolific defensive playmakers in the fold for 2026 and beyond.

Chicago Bears’ Nashon Wright eyes return

Few defensive free agents might be more important for Chicago to retain than defensive back Nahshon Wright, who is about to hit free agency coming off one of the strongest seasons of his career.

During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Wright revealed that as the new league year approaches that the Bears have already expressed some interest in bringing him back for the 2026 season, and beyond.

“I would love to be back in Chicago,” Wright said. “But I don’t necessarily know what’s going to happen.”

“There’s been some conversation. I know they contacted my agent. We have a meeting scheduled, no type of contract details have been discussed or anything, I think there is some interest, but I guess I’ll know next week.”

Wright, 27, found a home in coordinator Dennis Allen’s secondary, obliterating his previous career high with five interceptions while adding a personal-best 54 total tackles.

Nahshon Wright says the Bears and his agent have had some communication but no discussions on contract details. Says his agent and the Bears are scheduled to talk this week.

— Da Bears (@chicagobearsx.bsky.social) 2026-02-22T23:47:07.031Z

As he approaches unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career, Wright says that there’s a fine balance to walk between searching for the biggest bag and ensuring he’s in the right situation to succeed on the field.

“I think it’s a little bit of both,” Wright explained. “Obviously, you want to be taken care of financially, but there’s a part where you still want to be able to compete at a high level.

“For me, honestly, I do like to play a more aggressive style of football. Now, I haven’t done any deep dives into what teams play similarly to what we did in Chicago [last season], but obviously, I had a great season in Chicago  due tot he way that we played.

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Upgrading the pass rush is going to be a top priority for general manager Ryan Poles, if the Chicago Bears have designs on repeating as NFC North champions and making a deep run at the Super Bowl in 2026, and beyond.

After all, Montez Sweat can’t do it alone, after registering a 10-sack campaign in his first season in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s scheme.

However, given that the Bears currently sit roughly $5 million over the salary cap, prioritizing selecting an edge rusher early in the NFL Draft may be the most prudent path to rebuilding the position rather than breaking the bank at the top of the market in free agency.

Chicago Bears linked to Missouri EDGE Zion Young in latest NFL Mock Draft

Over at CBS Sports, NFL analyst Blake Brockermeyer just released his latest NFL mock draft projection, including linking the Bears to Missouri edge rusher Zion Young with the No. 25 overall selection.

“The Bears love size and length on the defensive line,” Brockermeyer writes. “And nobody sets the edge like Young, a disruptive presence with ideal length and pop. He offers a strong pass-rush profile as a strong-side edge, blending speed and power with an effective long arm.”

Young, 6-foot-5 and 262 pounds, certainly checks a lot of the boxes that Allen covets in defensive ends, and in an offseason that features free agent edge rushers such as Trey Hendrickson, Khalil Mack, Bradley Chubb, Arnold Ebiketie, and Boye Mafe among the top available, the former Missouri standout could conceivably slide to the Bears as other franchises look to fill other needs during the draft after dipping their toes into the free agent pass rush market.

Across his four collegiate seasons, two at Michigan State and two at Mizzou, Young logged 11.5 sacks with 130 total tackles. That kind of production, combined with his measurables and traits could make Young an ideal early-round target for Poles, Allen, and the Bears.

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The Chicago Bears‘ secondary proved that takeaways can power a defense, even if the front-seven never quite held up its end of the bargain.

While the safety room has the potential to be decimated by free agency, general manager Ryan Poles and Chicago could go a long way towards building a more complete, more dominant, and more complementary defense to the offense built around Caleb Williams by bolstering the depth along the line of scrimmage.

Chicago Bears must prioritize adding a pass rusher

In his first season playing in new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s system, edge rusher Montez Sweat had a career-year for the Bears.

Posting double-digit sacks, Sweat was named one of the Bears’ highest-graded players on the roster, according to Pro Football Focus while garnering a 72.1 overall grade.

“The Bears’ pass rush was overall disappointing,” BearsWire analyst Alyssa Barbieri writes of Chicago’s defense. “But defensive end Montez Sweat had a bounce back year, all things considered. Sweat recorded double-digit sacks (10) for the first time in Chicago while logging 53 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss, 18 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and five pass breakups while playing all 17 games.”

Given that Chicago is currently projected by be upwards of $5 million over the cap to begin free agency, Poles and the Bears may need to get creative to get Sweat the kind of major help necessary to lift Allen’s defense up the rankings in 2026.

Whether by selecting the best pass rusher on the board, in a loaded class at the position, in the first round of April’s NFL Draft, or pulling off a blockbuster trade for All-Pro Maxx Crosby and creating cap space along the way, or adding a mid-level free agent such as Bradley Chubb or Khalil Mack, this is one area POles and the Bears can’t ignore going into 2026.

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The Chicago Bears may be forced to overhaul the secondary in the weeks ahead.

With NFL free agency looming, and general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears currently sitting upwards of $5 million over the salary cap, it’s going to be difficult for Chicago to retain a safety room that includes Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson all on the cusp of hitting free agency at once.

While Chicago’s secondary was a driving force behind the defense forcing the most takeaways in the league, it’s likely going to look much different by the end of March than it did walking off the field in mid January after a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Chicago Bears’ Kevin Byard’s ideal free agency destination revealed

Byard quickly developed into a glue player on the back-end of Chicago’s defense, pulling down a league-high seven interceptions.

The veteran should see a robust market, and according to Pro Football Focus NFL analyst Mason Cameron, the Cincinnati Bengals could be Byard’s most logical destination and ideal fit.

“Much of that comes down to the personnel not fitting the mold,” Cameron writes of Byard, for PFF. “With which Al Golden aims to model his defense after: a single-high structure that plays sticky man coverage. As defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, Golden finished in the top 12 in Cover-1 usage each season, concluding in a staggering 52.3% rate in 2024 — the highest in the nation. If the Bengals hope to resemble that, it starts with the safety position.

“Byard is a true deep center fielder with natural ball-hawking skills. Over the past three seasons, the veteran safety has produced a 90.4 PFF coverage grade as the deep-free and deep-third defender. That capability allows him to make plays on the ball, having secured an NFL-leading seven interceptions for the Bears this past season. His experience would also provide a veteran voice in the coverage unit, something sorely lacking in Cincinnati this past season.”

Cincinnati has a pressing need in the secondary with upwards of $53 million in cap space ahead of the offseason kicking into high gear, which could make a reunion with the Bears difficult to pull off.

Byard would check a lot of boxes for the Bengals, but be a critical piece and difficult one to replace for Poles and Chicago, if he’s allowed to reach the open market and departs via free agency in the weeks to come.

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One area where general manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears must make a marked improvement this offseason is along the defensive line.

The Bears struggled to generate a consistent interior pass rush in 2025, but help could be on the way either via free agency or the NFL Draft, ahead of a 2026 campaign where Chicago will look to build momentum on last season’s NFC North championship and playoff victory.

Caleb Banks could be ideal fit for Chicago Bears

If Poles looks to target defensive line help in this year’s draft, Caleb Banks could be an ideal fit, and that’s exactly what direction Chicago takes in NFL analyst Charles Davis’ latest mock draft projection.

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The Chicago Bears are likely to go on a quest for cap space in the weeks ahead.

Ahead of the new league year beginning, the Bears are currently upwards of $5 million over the cap, which could present some difficult decisions for general manager Ryan Poles and the front office and some potential cap casualty cuts to be made.

Chicago Bears could release OT Kiran Amegadjie

Over at ESPN, analyst Aaron Schatz put together a list of one player each team across the NFL could cut or trade to create cap space, including offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie for the Bears.

“It’s a shame to get rid of a player who grew up near the Windy City,” Schatz writes for ESPN. “But it’s pretty clear that Amegadjie isn’t in the Bears’ plans going forward. The 2024 third-round pick likely would have been cut in last season’s training camp if not for his Day 2 draft upside. His struggles blocking in space led the Bears to start working him at guard instead of tackle. He could use a fresh start with a new organization for whom he could play guard from Day 1 and hopefully fulfill his collegiate potential as a run blocker.”

Releasing Amegadjie would create $1.05 million in new cap space, while triggering a $560,000 dead-money charge this offseason.

While moving on from a recent Day 2 pick like Amegadjie is a tough pill for any GM to swallow, it’s the price of admission for a team officially entering its Super Bowl window.

For Poles, and for the Bears, the focus has shifted from ‘developing’ project players to ‘maximizing’ every dollar around Caleb Williams. In that high-stakes environment, there simply isn’t room for a developmental tackle who hasn’t found his footing.

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If general manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears are setting out this offseason to upgrade the defense in a similar fashion to how the franchise built the offense around Caleb Williams last offseason, the front office may follow a similar playbook.

Two of the moves that made the most significant impact along an overhauled offensive line last offseason were blockbuster trades to acquire All-Pro guard Joe Thuney and veteran Jonah Jackson, which helped reduce Williams’ sacks from 68 as a rookie to 24 last season, while powering one of the league’s most dominant rushing offenses.

There might be a trade that can similarly bolster the Bears’ defense to be made in the weeks ahead.

Could the Chicago Bears trade for All-Pro Budda Baker?

Over in Arizona, the Cardinals are about to begin yet another rebuild, and might be looking to shift assets from their defense to finding ways to build out an offense around young wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. under new head coach Mike LaFleur.

The Bears could be a natural trade partner.

Over at Bleacher Report, NFL analyst Alex Ballentine suggests the Bears could send a third-round pick in 2026, and a fourth-round pick in 2027 to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for All-Pro safety Budda Baker.

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The Chicago Bears‘ secondary is bound to look significantly different come September than it did walking off the field against the Los Angeles Rams, back in January.

Given that Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson are all slated to become unrestricted free agents next month, and that the Bears are currently upwards of $5 million over the cap, general manager Ryan Poles may need to go bargain shopping at the position, or at least look to the free agent market to replace the veterans on the roster.

Are Chicago Bears an ideal Jabrill Peppers fit?

If the Bears are unable to bring Brisker, or Byard, or Gardner-Johnson back, Jabrill Peppers could be a fascinating option.

According to Pro Football Focus analyst Mason Cameron, given that the Bears are likely going to be unable to go shopping at the very top of the safety market this offseason, Peppers could be a best fit, especially on a short-term deal.

“Although Peppers didn’t catch on in Pittsburgh,” Cameron writes for PFF. “Playing just 100 snaps, he isn’t far removed from a strong track record in New England from 2022 to 2024. Over that span, he proved to be a versatile chess piece deep, in the slot and in the box, producing a 75.0-plus PFF overall grade in each of those seasons.

“The Bears can get Peppers on a short-term, prove-it deal in hopes of recapturing that production to address one of their many vacant spots in the secondary, all without breaking the bank.”

Signing a veteran like Peppers would allow Poles, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, to bridge the gap in a transitioning secondary without mortgaging the team’s future.

If Peppers can return to his ‘versatile chess piece’ form, he could be the bargain-bin steal that keeps the Bears’ defense competitive while the front office navigates its current cap constraints.

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams made incredible strides in his first season playing for head coach Ben Johnson.

Johnson, it seems tapped into Williams’ athleticism and built a system around the former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback’s best traits before introducing new and effective elements in the passing game as the season wore on.

“Statistically,” former NFL quarterback Sage Rosenfels recently told Between The Hashmarks. “The teams that are under center, and run with under-center runs, combined with bootlegs and play-action, those quarterbacks are continually playing the best of all quarterbacks in the NFL.

“With Caleb Williams, whether it was in high school or college at Oklahoma or USC, he was primarily a shotgun quarterback. Then, as a rookie, that staff seemed to say ‘let’s try to make use of Caleb’s athleticism and put him in Shotgun.’ But, Ben Johnson comes in with the system from Detroit, that was his system and they were the most under-center bootleg play action team in football over the past four seasons, and if you look at the Rams, the Seahawks, the Lions, the Cowboys with Prescott, those are the teams, those are thequarterbacks who are under center the most and run the most bootlegs and play action.”

Thanks to Johnson tapping into what Williams does best, the Bears’ second-year quarterback passed for a career-high 3,942 yards with 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions, while powering seven comeback victories and an eventual come-from-behind playoff win over the division rival Green Bay Packers.

However, there are still some key areas Williams can continue to improve in.

How Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams can become an All-Pro in 2026

If the 2025 season represents the floor for Williams’ ability and production under Johnson, the Bears may have one of the top quarterbacks in the sport on their hands.

At least one analyst believes there’s a realistic path to Williams becoming an All-Pro in the near future.

“If you get Caleb to play in rhythm at a higher rate, now you’re talking about someone who can be an All Pro player,” NFL analyst Matt Bowen said, during an appearance on the Hoge and Jahns Podcast. “That’s what he can be because he has the highlight plays off of that. He has the plays that, from a coaching perspective, I can’t teach. So there should be incredibly high expectations for the Bears offense and for Caleb Williams going into his third pro season. Now when he gets back to Halas Hall in the offseason, it’s not learning new terminology. It’s not watching tape of the Detroit Lions. Now, you’re sitting in those meeting rooms yourself scouting yourself.”

The physical tools have never been in question, but Williams’ greatest weapon in 2026 will be his own experience.

As he returns to Halas Hall to begin ‘scouting himself,’ he isn’t just preparing for a third season … he’s preparing to prove that his record-breaking 2025 was only the beginning

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The transformation of the Chicago Bears‘ offense in 2025 wasn’t just a matter of scheme; it was a byproduct of an exhaustive, round-the-clock overhaul led by first-year head coach Ben Johnson

After a rookie season defined by flashes of brilliance hampered by inconsistency, and marred by a terrible coaching situation, quarterback Caleb Williams took a historic leap in his second year.

Under Johnson’s tutelage, Williams set a franchise record with 3,942 passing yards, tossing 27 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, eventually guiding the Bears to a franchise record seven comeback victories, an NFC North Division championship, and a comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Much of Williams’, and the Bears’ offensive success, was a byproduct of a grueling offseason where Johnson and his staff rebuilt the offense from the ground up to fit Williams’ unique playstyle.

Caleb Williams credits Ben Johnson for Chicago Bears’ rapid turnaround

During a recent appearance on Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro Maxx Crosby’s podcast, Williams didn’t hold back in his praise for the Bears’ rising head coach.

“I cannot credit anyone but Ben Johnson and the staff,” Williams said. “The control they had of the situation, the belief and the confidence they had in themselves, but also they sacrificed to get this thing going. Ben got hired and they went to work immediately and they went hours and got into it not seeing their families from the start. We’re not talking about season. They in there day and night in the facility from the jump. Their families had to move and stuff so they weren’t seeing their families from the jump.

As the Bears look toward 2026, the foundation of this partnership is set. Now it’s time to build on it.

With Johnson’s innovative play-calling and Williams’ elite execution now perfectly in sync, the league isn’t just watching a rising star, rather, are witnessing the birth of a powerhouse.

If the 2025 season was about setting the floor, the 2026 campaign is about chasing an All-Pro ceiling.

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General manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears may need to go bargain shopping in free agency this offseason.

One year removed from a bombastic offseason makeover along the offensive line that included trading for All-Pro Joe Thuney, and signing top free agent center Drew Dalman, Poles and Chicago may need to look for more affordable deals to improve a defense with some key holes to fill in the months ahead.

Since the Bears are currently $5 million over the cap, this offseason may be more about precision and smart spending than adding big names at big contracts.

Linebacker Nakobe Dean could be an ideal fit for the Chicago Bears

Linebacker is a pressing need for the Bears, and that’s before even considering the possibility that Chicago could move on from veteran Tremaine Edmunds to create cap space.

If Poles and the Bears are shopping for short-term contracts for free agents with massive upside, Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean could be a perfect fit to watch for Chicago.

As NFL Media’s Kevin Patra points out, Dean could be poised to be one of the biggest bargains of the offseason.

“The former third-round pick owns the type of athleticism and playmaking that could get him paid this offseason,” Patra writes of Dean. “In four seasons in Philly, the off-ball linebacker proved he could get after the quarterback (7.5 sacks) and patrol the middle of the field. However, an extensive injury history could curtail his payday.

“The defender hasn’t played a full slate since 2017, missing 21 missed regular-season games over the past three seasons alone, and was out for most of Philly’s Super Bowl run in 2024. Teams generally shy away from spending big on players with long-term durability questions, which could put Dean on a short-term prove-it path.”

Injuries could certainly keep Dean’s price down, but the former Georgia standout has posted 110 total tackles with seven sacks and one interception oveer the past two seasons.

Playing in coordinator Dennis Allen’s attack-style defense that emphasizes strong linebacker play, Dean could be a great fit on a one-year contract to give the Bears’ defense a jolt and potentially play his way into a lucrative long-term contract in Chicago or elsewhere next offseason.

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As the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, and the NFL Combine in Indianapolis looms, the Chicago Bears are already getting a close look at some of the offensive playmakers in this year’s class.

It makes sense for general manager Ryan Poles to be kicking the tires on offensive weapons, considering Chicago is aiming to prop open a Super Bowl window around third-year quarterback Caleb Williams, with an offensive-minded head coach in Ben Johnson.

Given veteran D’Andre Swift’s uncertain future combined with the Bears currently sitting upwards of $5 million over the salary cap, running back could quickly become a position of focus.

Chicago Bears showing interest in North Dakota State’s Barika Kpeenu

According to ChiCitySports’ Zack Pearson, the Bears have met with North Dakota State running back Baika Kpeenu, before the NFL Combine has even gotten underway.

Kpeenu, 5-foot-10 and 213 pounds, is coming off the most prolific season of his collegiate career, rushing for a career-high 1,005 yards with 20 touchdowns, while averaging 5.3 yards per carry during his senior season in West Fargo.

Can also confirm that the #Bears have already met with Kpeenu. An intriguing prospect to keep an eye on. https://t.co/Aiv3QRJ3H2

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) February 19, 2026

“Kpeenu invites contact with tacklers,” FCS Football Central’s Gerald J. Huggins II writes of Kpeenu. “Finishing with a forward lean, quality leg drive, and contact balance. He’s a functional straight-line athlete whose closing burst is strong, coupled with his ability to gain yardage after contact.”

The Bears have had recent success with late-round draft choices, as Kyle Monangai significantly outplayed his status as a seventh-round draft choice during his rookie season, capping the 2025 campaign with 783 yards and five touchdowns.

If the Bears wind up moving on from Swift to create additional cap space, Kpeenu could be a fascinating target to watch for Chicago during the NFL Draft.

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General manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears have some serious work to do in the coming days.

Before the new league year begins next month, Chicago must get cap compliant, but that is going to force some difficult decisions on Poles and head coach Ben Johnson, as the Bears are currently upwards of $5 million over the salary cap.

Before the Bears can begin shopping for free agents, Poles is going to need to either restructure the contracts of some veterans on the roster or move on from some high-priced players whose contracts would create spending flexibility by doing so.

Would Chicago Bears keep Cole Kmet rather than cut him for cap space?

After first-round rookie Colston Loveland emerged as a premier pass catcher in quarterback Caleb Williams’ supporting cast last season, veteran tight end Cole Kmet would appear expendable, especially given that releasing him would create $10 million in new cap space.

However, Alyssa Barbieri of USA TODAY Sports’ BearsWire makes a compelling argument for keeping Kmet.

“When the Bears drafted Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick last year,” Barbieri writes. “The idea of Cole Kmet being released at some point definitely drifted to mind, especially given his cap hit after a lucrative contract extension.

“Following Loveland’s breakout year as a rookie, you would think it would be a serious consideration. The Bears could save $10 million in cap space by parting ways with Kmet. But knowing Ben Johnson and his love of 12 personnel, it’s hard to imagine Kmet going anywhere in 2026 given his importance on offense.”

Last season, Kmet caught 30 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns, but in addition to Johnson’s heavy reliance on two-tight end sets that Barbieri points out, the 26-year-old is also a dominant and consistent run-blocker.

So, while it would make a lot of financial sense for the Bears to move on from Kmet, further increase Loveland’s role and sprinkle that $10 million in cap space elsewhere at other positions of need, Johnson’s scheme and Chicago’s dominance in the running game may be enough to persuade Poles to look for spending flexibility elsewhere.

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The Chicago Bears‘ offense became a running back by committee approach the longer last season went on, in head coach Ben Johnson’s first at the helm.

Veteran D’Andre Swift and emergent seventh-round rookie running back D’Andre Swift combined to power Chicago’s ground game to finish third in the league, while averaging 144.5 rushing yards per game.

However, as the Bears begin this offseason upwards of $5 million over the salary cap, Swift’s Chicago future is a bit uncertain ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Chicago Bears’ D’Andre Swift opens up about his future

As general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears look to find ways to clear up some cap space before the new league year begins, cutting Swift would seemingly be a legitimate possibility.

Given that the Bears could create $7.4 million in new cap space, while triggering a $1.3 million dead money charge by releasing Swift.

After a strong 2025 campaign, Swift says he hopes to be back in a Bears uniform next fall.

“I have no idea, but hopefully I did enough for them to want me back because I know I don’t want to go anywhere else,” Swift told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I hope it plays itself out that way. I love the city, I love the coaching staff and the men that I work with. That’s out of my control, but if I had it my way, I’d be back. I don’t want to play nowhere else.”

Swift surpassed 1,000 yards for the second time in his career, while rushing for a career-high nine touchdowns last season, clearly finding an explosive home in Ben Johnson’s system.

Coming off a career year, Swift has certainly held up his end of the bargain on the field. Now, the ball is in the front office’s court to determine if they can afford to keep a 1,000-yard rusher in the fold, or if the $7.4 million in potential cap savings is simply too significant to pass up.

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The Chicago Bears‘ offseason might be about addition by subtraction this year, rather than the marquee signings and trades that defined GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson’s first offseason together last spring.

After all, ahead of the new league year beginning and NFL free agency getting underway, the Bears are currently upwards of $5.3 million over the cap.

If Chicago is going to get cap compliant, get younger at a key position, and free up the spending flexibility necessary to add or upgrade at key areas of need, it may depend on trading away a steady veteran contributor in the weeks to come.

DJ Moore trade could be Chicago Bears’ dream offseason move

Over at Bleacher Report, NFL analyst Moe Moten put together a list of each team’s dream move for the offseason ahead, including trading DJ Moore, for the Bears.

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The Chicago Bears are expected to go shopping at the top of the market for pass rush help, aiming to significantly upgrade a critical position of need on coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense.

While Montez Sweat produced double-digit sacks last season, the Bears’ defense largely relied on and survived on creating the most takeaways in the league but struggled to cobble together any complementary pass rush production to Sweat’s.

There might not be a more impactful edge rusher potentially available this offseason than Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro Maxx Crosby, but general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears may need to pay a steep premium to have a chance at landing him.

Chicago Bears learn Raiders’ Maxx Crosby asking price

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders are asking for a king’s ransom, in any potential trade for their most dominant defensive player.

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The Chicago Bears‘ 2025 season was defined by the comeback.

In his first season in new head coach Ben Johnson’s system, Caleb Williams powered a franchise record seven comeback victories before leading the largest postseason comeback in the history of the franchise, to dispatch the division rival Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card round.

With his second season and first playoff berth in the rearview, Williams says he’s setting out to shake the “Cardiac Caleb” and “Cardiac Bears” monikers that became synonymous with Chicago throughout the 2025 campaign.

How Caleb Williams aims to change Chicago Bears’ mentality

According to USCWire, Williams hopes to learn from the comeback victories of 2025 and avoid needing to rely on those comebacks in 2026, and beyond.

“You get into these games, you win a bunch of games, you get into these playoff games and you’re winning,” Williams said. “You play these good teams and you see what you have to go against. You see what championship level is, you see what you need to do to be at the position that you want to be at the end of the year. You see what you have to do, you figure it out. When you get knocked down, you get back up and that’s what we’re going to do. That’s my mindset. We never stay down as a team.

“I think we’ve shown that this year, we never stay down. We keep fighting. Bringing that mentality into next year and then finding ways to bring that hunger for all four quarters in every single game is going to be important and something that we’ll focus on throughout the offseason and throughout next year.”

The 2025 season proved the Bears have the grit to get back up; now, Williams is focused on ensuring they never get knocked down in the first place. It is a subtle shift in mentality, but for a franchise chasing a ring, it’s the difference between being a great story and becoming the kind of team capable of developing into a dynasty.

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Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright is hitting free agency at the perfect time.

The 27-year-old is coming off of the strongest season of his career, intercepting a personal-best five passes, while notching a career-high 80 total tackles and breaking up one pass as one of the Bears’ standouts in the secondary this past season.

Given that the Bears need to figure out how to handle a safety group that is about to see Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson about to hit free agency at once, figuring out how to keep Wright, while currently sitting upwards of $5 million over the cap is going to force some difficult decisions for general manager Ryan Poles.

NFL warned not to overpay for Chicago Bears CB Nahshon Wright

Over at Bleacher Report, NFL analyst Gary Davenport put together a list of the free agents who are “busts” waiting to happen, including Wright among the defensive backs who is a big overpay risk.

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The Chicago Bears are going to face some difficult decisions in the weeks ahead, to get under the salary cap, and general manager Ryan Poles may need to revamp the linebacking corps as a result.

If Poles and the Bears do move on from veteran Tremaine Edmunds, which would be one of the most cost-effective moves Chicago could make, there could be an ideal replacement with upside about to shake loose from another team looking to free up spending flexibility before the new league year begins.

Could Chicago Bears sign Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke?

According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the Giants could be poised to move on from linebacker Bobby Okereke.

“The Giants can create $9 million in cap savings while eating $5.5 million in dead money,” Duggan writes of Okereke. “If they cut him this offseason. A captain during each of his three seasons in New York, Okereke plays every snap as the leader of the defense. But the 29-year-old’s performance has declined, so the savings from cutting him could be spent on an upgrade.”

It remains to be seen how much of Okereke’s sharp decline in play was a result of a poor scheme in New York, or age catching up to him.

However, the $40 million linebacker still produced 78 tackles with one sack, while tying a career-high with two interceptions this past season.

Whether adding Okereke as a move to upgrade the linebacking corps alongside a player like Edmunds, or to replace the veteran, he’s exactly the kind of veteran who has the potential to be an upgrade for the Bears’ defense in 2026.

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General manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears are going to need to make some difficult choices in the weeks ahead, with NFL free agency looming.

While the Bears’ defense was powered by its ability to create takeaways, particularly thanks to dominant play in the secondary, Chicago’s about to begn an offseason where all three veteran safeties; Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson are about to become unrestricted free agents, with the backdrop of being approximately $5 million over the salary cap.

Chicago Bears must prioritize Jaquan Brisker, top NFL analyst says

CBS Sports NFL analyst Zachary Pereles put together a list of the free agent that each team across the NFL can’t afford to lose, with Brisker named the Bears’ top priority.

“The Bears have several pieces of their secondary set to hit free agency,” Pereles writes for CBS. “But JaQuan Brisker should be at or near the top of their list of retainees. Brisker had a bumpy 2025 season as a whole, but came into his own and played very well in the playoffs. He’s an athletic player who is just 26 years old, and he moves all over the formation, working effectively as a pass rusher and run defender. The coverage needs improving, but his versatility can be very helpful as Chicago builds its defense.”

Brisker has become as respected a leadership voice as there is on either side of the ball, and played some of the most dominant football of his career during Chicago’s postseason run to the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

After producing 52 total tackles, with one sack and one interception, if Poles and the Bears are looking to prioritize keeping just one of Chicago’s veteran defensive backs, Brisker might be the best choice with the most upside and value to the franchise’s suddenly wide open Super Bowl window.

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The Seattle Seahawks built a Super Bowl juggernaut with staying power, around a physical running game and swarming defense, but the Chicago Bears might be about to punch back.

Seattle’s power running game, behind the duo of Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet opened up so much of what Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and A.J. Barner were able to accomplish in the passing game. The Seahawks, as well as Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles, Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers, and Josh Jacobs and the Green Bay Packers could all factor into the Bears’ bid to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl in the years ahead.

General manager Ryan Poles and the Bears have some major decisions to make this offseason, especially on defense, but few priorities rank higher on the list than fortifying the front seven and gearing up to be better against the run next fall.

Chicago Bears linked to Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald

Over at Pro Football Focus, analyst Gordon McGuinness released his latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft projection, with the Bears emerging with Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald at No. 25 overall.

“McDonald may never be an elite pass rusher,” McGuinness writes. “But he’s so good against the run that I’m not sure it matters. He earned a 91.2 PFF run-defense grade in 2025, and with run-heavy formations on the rise again in the NFL, it’s never a bad idea to draft an elite 326-pound run defender.”

At 6-foot-3 and 326 pounds, is more than a space eater, as he produced a career-high 65 total tackles last season in Columbus, with three sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery, as a disruptive force in opposing backfields.

Adding McDonald would be a huge tactical addition for Poles, coordinator Dennis Allen, and the Bears’ defense, given the types of schemes Chicago is going to have to navigate through in the postseason in the years ahead.

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A former Chicago Bears coach is on the move.

As Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady continues to fill out his coaching staff, the first-time head coach is tapping former Bears head coach John Fox for a defensive Senior Assistant role.

Former Chicago Bears head coach John Fox lands on Buffalo Bills’ staff

Fox, 71, has been around the NFL as an assistant coach dating back to his role as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive backs coach in 1989.

The Bears hired Fox as head coach in 2015, where he went 14-34, finishing with the second-worst winning percentage in franchise history before being fired following his third consecutive last-place finish in the NFC North.

It is clear that the Bills are hoping that Fox can offer some wisdom to Brady, and serve as a veteran voice on the coaching staff from his decades of experience in systems and buildings across the league.

Despite his struggles at Soldier Field, Fox has proven to have incredible staying power in a league that often cycles through coaches at a rapid pace. As he prepares for his 35th season on an NFL sideline, the former Bears lead man will now try to help the Bills finally break through their postseason ceiling in the AFC.

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The Chicago Bears‘ 2025 NFC North championship season was a masterclass in offensive evolution.

In his first season at the helm, head coach Ben Johnson crafted a system that magnified the impact of quarterback Caleb Williams’ athleticism, before later in the season leaning on the young passer’s ability to carve up defenses on the run via the passing game, taking advantage of an explosive young collection of weapons such as wide receiver Rome Odunze, and rookies like running back Kyle Monangai, wide receiver Luther Burden, and tight end Colston Loveland as a multi-faceted offensive attack

By pairing a reinforced offensive line with a system that emphasized efficiency, Chicago was able to cut Williams’ sack total from 68 as a rookie to just 24 last season, and produce a passing game that led the charge to a division title and playoff victory.

How NFL defenses are gearing up to stop Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams

However, as Williams’ star rises, so does the urgency for opposing defensive coordinators to find an answer for his “clutch gene.” While Williams nearly reached the 4,000-yard passing milestone, his greatest threat remains his ability to create “off-schedule” magic when the pocket collapses—a trait that fueled seven comeback victories in 2025.

According to one AFC Scouting Director, the league is already developing a specific tactical response to keep Williams from breaking games open with his legs and vision outside the structure of the play.

“I think you’re starting to see it,” an AFC Scouting Director told Between The Hashmarks. “With undersized speed rushers like Micah Parsons and last year the way the Giants deployed Abdul Carter, they were positioning them all over the front.

“You’re going to see teams try to keep him in the pocket, make him move in the pocket, up the pocket, and force him to run downfield instead of outside the tackles. It’s going to require containing the edges more, but also deploying those undersized rushers from a stack position all over the front.”

As the Bears head into 2026, the chess match between Johnson’s play-calling and these evolving “contain” schemes will determine if Chicago can maintain its status as an NFC powerhouse, or even take the next step towards bringing a Lombardi back to Chicago.

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The Chicago Bears, and general manager Ryan Poles have built one of the NFL’s most exciting collections of young talent.

Beyond ascendent star Caleb Williams at quarterback, Poles and the Bears have mined the past two NFL Drafts to surround the former Heisman Trophy winner with impact players at the skill positions while deploying massive resources to overhaul the offensive line in front of him last offseason.

Now, after a stellar rookie campaign, one of Williams’ most explosive pass-catchers is garnering major national praise.

Chicago Bears’ Colston Loveland was NFL’s highest-graded rookie

Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland made an immediate impact, finishing as the team’s leading receiver and developing an instant chemistry with Williams that only got stronger as the season went along.

According to Pro Football Focus, Loveland wasn’t just the focal point of Chicago’s passing game, but the highest-graded rookie in the league.

The highest-graded rookie in the 2025 season:

COLSTON LOVELAND pic.twitter.com/X7L2ZU9Hxz

— PFF (@PFF) February 12, 2026

PFF gave Loveland an 84 overall grade, after the former No. 10 overall pick in last spring’s NFL Draft caught 58 passes for 713 yards and six touchdowns.

According to Pro Football Focus, Williams posted a stellar 123.1 passer rating when targeting Loveland, whose 9.5 yards Average Depth of Target was second among tight ends across the NFL.

Given the impact Sam LaPorta had on Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s offense in Detroit, Loveland’s upside is off the charts, and his rookie season has the potential to be merely a launchpad rather than a ceiling for his impact on the Bears’ offense moving forward.

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The Chicago Bears‘ roster is a bit of a mirror image.

On offense, Chicago has built a young and ascending core around emerging star quarterback Caleb Williams and a plethora of young talent, largely assembled over the past two NFL Draft classes and some marquee offseason additions, all with the intent of maximizing brilliant play-caller head coach Ben Johnson’s system.

Meanwhile, defensively, the Bears have some playmakers at all three levels, but several holes to fill this offseason, but limited resources to do so and an entire position group that could be playing elsewhere in 2026.

Chicago Bears’ worst-case scenario revealed

Last season, the Bears led the league in takeaways, largely buoyed by strong safety play from homegrown talent Jaquan Brisker, and veteran safeties Kevin Byard and C.J. Gardner-Johnson alongside the former Penn State standout.

However, all three veterans are slated to become unrestricted free agents, so it isn’t surprising that Bleacher Report NFL analyst Kristopher Knox suggests that Chicago’s secondary “collapsing” would be the worst-case scenario for the Bears, this offseason.

Unfortunately, for general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears, Chicago opens this offeason approximately $5 million over the cap.

While the Bears could certainly target some of the top safeties in this year’s draft class in the early rounds this April or scrape together the cap space to bring at least one of their veterans back, it’s unlikely that this unit is going to take the field in September intact and that could cause a massive regression from where the defense was by the end of the 2025 campaign.

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It’s safe to say Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ star is rising.

Beyond being the catalyst to a franchise record six comeback victories en route to leading the Bears to an NFC North championship and playoff victory, Williams earned a reputation as a clutch performer in the biggest moments of games and is quickly developing into one of the top quarterbacks across the NFL.

This weekend, though, Williams is taking his talents to the hardwood.

Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams to participate in NBA All-Star Game festivities

The former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft already has serious cache in Chicago, and is quickly becoming a household name among NFL fans.

Williams’ notoriety may be about to truly explode, though.

This weekend in Los Angeles, Williams will take part in the NBA All-Star Game Celebrity three-point contest.

Celebrity 3-Point Contest Participants:

Caleb Williams
Druski
PlaqueBoyMax
Nigel Sylvester
Richard Jefferson
Jared McCain
Cam Wilder

(h/t @BasketballGuruD ) pic.twitter.com/GDJnnI5fzo

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 11, 2026

By stepping onto the NBA stage alongside some of the biggest names in entertainment, Williams is proving that his impact extends far beyond the sidelines at Soldier Field. Whether he’s hunting six points on the gridiron or three points on the hardwood, Chicago’s ‘Iceman’ is quickly becoming the undeniable new face of American sports.

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There’s a lot to be optimistic about the Chicago Bears‘ immediate and long-term future.

From Caleb Williams’ rapid development into one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks in his first season in head coach Ben Johnson’s scheme, to the personnel in place to maximize one of the brightest offensive minds and playcallers in the league.

However, after winning the NFC North and toppling the Packers in a playoff game, there is also a pretty big lingering reason to doubt that Chicago’s success is sustainable.

Why the Chicago Bears could take big step back in 2026

CBS Sports NFL analyst Garrett Podell ranked the teams most likely to take a step back next season, with the Bears stunningly topping the list.

“The Bears don’t have the money to maintain that continuity in their defensive backfield,” Podell writes for CBS. “Safety Kevin Byard, a 2025 first-team All-Pro after leading the NFL with seven interceptions, is set to become a free agent, as is fellow starting safety Jaquan Brisker, nickel C.J. Gardner-Johnson and outside cornerback Nahshon Wright, who led the NFL with eight takeaways (five interceptions and three fumble recoveries). The potential losses of both Byard and Wright, who combined to account for 15 of Chicago’s NFL-most 33 takeaways (45.4%), could certainly set the Bears’ defense back.

“While it sounds wild to say, the 2025 season may have been the Bears’ best shot to make a Super Bowl run with Williams on his rookie contract.”

While Podell is right to point out that Chicago’s current salary cap predicament, projected to be upwards of $5 million over the cap, could make it a struggle to keep the veterans in place in the secondary, there are far more reasons to be optimistic about the trajectory of Johnson’s team.

Williams’ ascent and continued development through the course of last season alone are reason enough to be bullish on this team, not to mention the contributions Chicago received from its stellar rookie class. If the Bears can be targeted in free agency, fill the holes that arise, and stack another strong draft class atop its last two, it’s far more likely that this becomes the team to beat in the NFC North over the next several years than it is that Chicago follows a Washington Commanders-esque precipitous drop off in 2026.

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The Chicago Bears‘ defense improved by leaps and bounds last season, but major offseason questions loom as does the uncertainty over whether relying on producing the most takeaways in the league is sustainable.

Regardless, the Bears are likely to prioritize bolstering the talent across all three levels of coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense this offseason, and may have some pressing decisions to make before free agency even begins.

Chicago Bears urged to select safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the NFL Draft

One player who could make a lot of sense for the Bears to target with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of April’s 2026 NFL Draft, is Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.

Over at NFL Media, analyst Cynthia Frelund projects McNeil Warren as the Bears’ first-round selection, especially given that significant turnover could be coming at the position in the coming weeks.

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The Chicago Bears claiming the NFC North crown and toppling the division rival Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card wasn’t just a major step forward, but a showcase of the homegrown talent assembled by general manager Ryan Poles.

Second-year quarterback Caleb Williams’ ascent into the upper echelon of players at his position across the league was a driving force, wide receiver Rome Odunze continues to emerge, but the Bears’ 2025 NFL Draft class became a catalyst not just to Chicago’s playoff run in 2025 but a source of major optimism about what the future holds in the Windy City.

Chicago Bears’ 2025 NFL Draft class ranked as league’s best

Over at NFL Media, Editor at Large Gennaro Filice ranked every draft class across the league, with the Bears’ topping the list with an “A” grade.

“From Week 10 through the end of the regular season,” Filice writes. “Chicago boasted the two most productive rookie pass catchers in the entire league: WR Luther Burden III topped the board in that span with 481 receiving yards, while TE Colston Loveland ranked just behind him with 479. And Loveland continued to ascend in the postseason with nearly 200 more yards in two games. Lastly, the Bears’ offensive line looked complete after Ozzy Trapilo took over the blind side in Week 12.”

Loveland finished the season as the Bears’ leading receiver, and a favorite target of Williams, Burden is an emerging star, and as Filice points out, Trapilo was an instant upgrade along the offensive line when given the opportunity.

If this group continues to ascend, and Poles has similar success accumulating young talent with team control in this spring’s draft class, the Bears are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the NFC as a legitimate contender for the foreseeable future.

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Caleb Williams was the catalyst for a Chicago Bears revival in 2025.

Williams guided a franchise-record six comeback victories, was the driving force behind the largest postseason comeback in franchise history, in a victory over the bitter rival Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs, and nearly became the first Bears quarterback to eclipse 4,000 passing yards, in his first season playing under head coach Ben Johnson.

With the needle firmly pointed upwards for both Williams and the Bears, as a franchise, the former No. 1 overall pick is the biggest reason for optimism that the 2026 campaign could reach even loftier heights.

Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams vaults up top quarterback rankings

NFL Media analyst Nick Shook put together a power ranking of all 63 quarterbacks who started a game across the league this season, with Williams checking in at No. 8.

“Caleb Williams steadily improved throughout his first season under Ben Johnson,” Shook writes of Williams. “And produced some incredible heroics in the postseason, powering an unbelievable comeback over the Packers on Wild Card Weekend and nearly doing the same against the Rams in the Divisional Round. Perhaps I’m a sucker for recency and hyperbole, but by the end of this season, Williams is among the quarterbacks I think of first when I ask the question: Who defined the 2025 season?”

Beyond how bullish Shook is on Williams’ 2025 season, the fact that he ranks the Bears’ quarterback one spot behind Super Bowl-winning signal caller Sam Darnold, of the Seattle Seahawks, should inspire significant confidence in what the 2026 season could hold in store for Chicago.

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It’s safe to say that there is no love lost between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers these days.

Not only did the Bears win two of three matchups against the bitter rivals, including eliminating the Packers from the NFC Playoffs, in comeback fashion, but quarterback Caleb Williams’ celebration ruffled Green Bay All-Pro Micah Parsons’ feathers after a regular season comeback victory at Soldier Field, and Ben Johnson’s handshake with Matt LaFleur following the postseason victory was as icy as it gets.

The Packers, though, are turning to a former Bears assistant coach to help elevate quarterback Jordan Love’s development.

Packers hire former Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy

According to NFL Media insider Tom Pelissero, the Packers are hiring former Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy as Green Bay’s next quarterbacks coach.

Getsy, 41, served as the Bears’ offensive coordinator from 2022 though the 2023 season.

The Bears’ offense never gained much traction under Getsy, finishing 28th in total offense in 2022, only to finish the following season ranked 20th. A return to Lambeau Field is familiar stomping grounds for Getsy.

First joining the Packers as an offensive quality control coach back in 2014, Getsy has spent nine seasons in Green Bay, including spending the 2025 campaign as a senior offensive assistant to head coach Matt LaFleur.

Prior to his Green Bay return, and after the Bears fired Getsy in 2024, he spent one season as the offensive coordinator of the Las Vegas Raiders.

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The Chicago Bears‘ offensive line overhaul last offseason was a defining feature of the 2025 NFC North Champions.

After trading for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney and veteran guard Jonah Jackson, the Bears went shopping at the top of the market, signing center Drew Dalman. Those veteran reinforcements were a catalyst to quarterback Caleb Williams’ sack total dropping dramatically from 68 as a rookie in 2024, to just 24 last season.

As NFL free agency looms, one of the Bears’ homegrown offensive linemen could be on the move as one of the higher-paid signings this offseason.

Chicago Bears’ Braxton Jones linked to Cleveland Browns in free agency

Given that general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears are currently projected to be upwards of $5 million over the cap, it could be a struggle for the Bears to re-sign right tackle Braxton Jones.

Over at Pro Football Focus, analyst Mason Cameron put together a list of the top free agent destinations for some of the top offensive tackles set to become available when the new league-year begins, including Jones inking a new deal with the Cleveland Browns.

“Of the Browns’ top seven offensive linemen in snap volume this past season,” Cameron writes of Jones for PFF. “Six are scheduled to enter free agency, including four of their five Week 1 starters. With numerous spots to fill and little cap space ($3.21 million) to address the situation, Cleveland will have to unearth cost-effective options.

“At 27 years old, Braxton Jones could profile as a potential long-term piece of the puzzle while not breaking the bank. Injury limited him to just four games this past season, but he showcased talent as a run blocker over his prior three seasons. His PFF grades as both a gap (95th percentile) and zone (80th percentile) blocker over that span would fit well with a Browns offense that wants to run the ball.”

Jones’ journey from a fifth-round flier to a coveted free-agent target is a testament to the Bears’ recent developmental success, but that success now comes with a premium price tag.

As Cleveland and other tackle-needy teams loom, Chicago must decide if Jones is a long-term cornerstone worth the investment, or if restarting the clock by drafting a tackle early in this spring’s draft isn’t the more prudent roster-building decision.

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The Chicago Bears could be on the cusp of making some major changes across the roster.

Currently projected to be upwards of $5 million over the cap, general manager Ryan Poles is likely getting down to work, attempting to restructure the contracts of some high-priced veterans, weighing the value prospects of outright releasing others, but at least one playmaker could be a top trade chip for the Bears in the weeks ahead.

DJ Moore is Chicago Bears’ most valuable trade chip

Over at Bleacher Report, NFL analyst Alex Ballentine put together a list of each team’s top trade asset, including wide receiver DJ Moore, for the Bears.

“D.J. Moore is a perfect example,” Ballentine writes for B/R. “Teams around the league just saw him work as a stabilizing force for the Bears’ receiver room over the last two seasons. However, the Bears’ younger targets like Rome Odunze and Luther Burden might have Ryan Poles convinced that it would be worth the $16.5 million in cap space they could create by trading him.”

As Ballentine points out, at this point, Moore might be a luxury piece for a Bears’ passing game that saw rookie tight end Colston Loveland emerge as Chicago’s leading receiver, and young pass catchers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden strengthening their rapport and timing with Williams as last season went along.

If the Bears view the $16.5 million in additional cap space they could free up by moving Moore as more valuable than his role in the offense, it would make a lot of sense for Chicago to move on.

Poles would likely find a robust trade market for the 38-year-old with 608 career catches for 8,213 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Cap-rich teams such as the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, or Washington Commanders would make a lot of sense as potential destinations for Moore in the weeks ahead this offseason.

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Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson seemed to crack the Caleb Williams code in 2025, and after a postseason trip and playoff victory, this past season might just be scratching the surface of what this duo is capable of.

Johnson’s impact was unmistakable; he installed a system that allowed Williams to pass for 3,942 yards, falling just short of becoming the franchise’s first 4,000-yard passer, while cutting his sacks down to 24 from 68, and capitalizing on a defense that led the league in takeaways.

This will be a pivotal offseason for the Bears, especially when it comes to potentially building a defense that is truly a worthy complement to Williams and the offense, but next season represents a chance for the No. 1 pick to take an even bigger step forward.

Could Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams be an MVP frontrunner?

ESPN surveyed some of its top NFL analysts for their prediction to win the MVP award next season, with Dan Graziano offering an extremely bullish take on Williams’ potential.

“I see the arrow pointing up for Williams with Ben Johnson,” Graziano writes, explaining his Williams MVP prediction. “And a Bears team that arrived well ahead of schedule. Williams has that fourth-quarter clutch gene, and even if the Bears fix their defense to where he doesn’t need as many clutch performances, he should have plenty of opportunities to showcase his abilities in a tough NFC North.”

The Bears have spent decades searching for a quarterback-coach duo that could redefine the franchise; in Williams and Johnson, they appear to have finally found it.

As the roster continues to evolve this offseason, the standard in Chicago has shifted from simply hoping for a winning record to expecting a deep run into February.

If Chicago pulls that off, Williams is going to garner serious MVP consideration.

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The Chicago Bears took the NFC North by storm in 2025.

Going from worst-to-first, including beating the Green Bay Packers twice, with one victory coming in a home playoff game, and knocking off the defending Super Bowl champions along the way, the Bears’ rapid turnaround in head coach Ben Johnson’s first season at the helm was one of the top storylines across the league.

However, with some cap space headwinds and questions about the sustainability of a defense thriving off leading the league in takeaways, there are some real concerns about Chicago’s ability to repeat.

Key areas Chicago Bears must improve this offseason

Over at NFL Media, analyst Eric Edholm put together his first set of offseason power rankings, listing the Bears No. 7 overall, as the highest-ranked team from the NFC North, offering a blueprint for how to repeat in 2026, as well.

“They will need to identify ways to fortify the defense,” Edholm writes of Chicago’s offseason outlook. “And stabilize the offense for another big run in what should be a loaded NFC North once again. The foundation is in place, but there’s still more building to do. A few cuts might be necessary, and that’s assuming they can redo some contracts, but Chicago will likely have neither the cap space nor the draft ammunition to make blockbuster additions.”

If the Bears are going to take the next step, it obviously depends on Williams continuing to improve, along with his young and rising pass catchers, but potentially even more importantly, the defense finding a way to terrorize opposing quarterbacks into the kind of mistakes that came to define it this past season.

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The Chicago Bears’ passing game found an identity and improved by leaps and bounds during the 2025 campaign, thanks in large part to quarterback Caleb Williams’ dramatic improvement in his second season.

However, despite Williams falling just short of becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to pass for 4,000 yards, the Bears did not have a receiver finish in the top-40 in receiving yards across the league.

As former first-round pick Rome Odunze prepares for his third NFL season, he hopes to change that in a big way in 2026.

Chicago Bears’ Rome Odunze preparing to make big leap

Odunze could see his role dramatically increase in 2026, especially if the Bears decide to move off veteran DJ Moore, which would push the former University of Washington standout to the top of the depth chart.

Regardless, Odunze has his sights set on some lofty goals for next season.

“I truly believe I can be one of the best in the league, so until I go out there and do that, I’m not satisfied,” Odunze told the Sun-Times. “That’s what I’m working toward.

“You go through certain circumstances during the season, like injuries, but in this league, you either do or you don’t. And I’m looking forward to doing a lot more.”

That would be a pretty big leap, for Odunze, who caught 44 passes for 661 yards and a career-high six touchdowns in 2025.

However, as Williams continues his ascent, and even in a crowded offense that includes the likes of tight end Colston Loveland and Luther Burden, Odunze has the tools in his skill set and the rapport with his quarterback to not just stand out but make a run at climbing the ladder among the league’s top receivers next fall.

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It’s safe to say that Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams struck a nerve.

Williams didn’t just power the Bears to a pair of comeback victories over the Green Bay Packers this season, including powering Chicago over their bitter NFC North rivals in the NFC Wild Card round, but didn’t hold back on his celebrations, either.

Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams ruffles feathers with ‘iceman’ celebration

When Williams hit DJ Moore for the game-winning touchdown ,in overtime of the Bears’ Week 16 victory over the Packers, the second-year quarterback’s “iceman” moniker was born, and it hasn’t sat well with Packers All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons.

Leading up to the Super Bowl, Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett trolled Parsons over the celebration, even imitating Williams’ gesture during the podcast appearance.

“I can’t lie, watching that, seeing that, seeing (Williams) get that name (Iceman) and this right here,” Parsons said while replicating Williams’ Iceman celebration, “it was just grrr.”

Myles Garrett trolling Micah Parsons by hitting Bears QB Caleb Williams’ signature iceman celly is the best thing ever pic.twitter.com/qSM3Ky4BLH

— Bearsszn (@bearszn) February 9, 2026

Garrett also hilariously trolled Parsons over the Packers’ star’s inability to record a sack on Williams, in the game that he was healthy for against the Bears, before tearing his ACL the following game in Denver against the Broncos.

For decades, Packers fans grew used to their quarterbacks owning the “championship belt” and the bragging rights in this rivalry. But, after Williams’ opening act in head coach Ben Johnson’s system, there might be a new Iceman ruling the NFC North in the years ahead.

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The Chicago Bears spent much of last offseason overhauling the offensive line.

From trading for All-Pro Joe Thuney, who became the first Protector of the Year Award winner, guard Jonah Jackson, and signing top free agent center Drew Dalman. Those upgrades paid major dividends, as the Bears finished among the top rushing offenses in the league, and Caleb Willams was sacked just 24 times after withstanding a barrage of 68 sacks as a rookie.

But, general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears will have a daunting and expensive decision to make this offseason, in terms of the future of the offensive line.

Chicago Bears have major Darnell Wright decision to make

While last offseason’s wholesale changes largely centered around adding reliable veterans from the outside, Poles and the Bears have a big decision to make on one of Chicago’s homegrown talents, tackle Darnell Wright.

Wright, chosen with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, is eligible for a contract extension for the first time, and the Bears must decide whether to exercise is fifth-year option this spring, as well.

But, as far as a long-term contract extension, that could be expensive, but might also lower his cap number, as well.

According to multiple sources that Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic spoke to, Wright’s value could push to upwards of $30 million.

“One agent viewed Wright, considering his age and the way the position has been paid,” Fishbain writes for The Athletic. “As worthy of a contract worth around $27 million per year, which would surpass future Hall of Famer Lane Johnson. This is a good time to remember that the quarterback with the highest average salary is Dak Prescott, not, say, Patrick Mahomes. That suggested contract would be for three years, through 2030, after the fifth-year option.

“The other agent said he would seek to reset the tackle market with a four-year contract worth $120 million. Penei Sewell is currently the league leader at the position, earning an average of $28 million per year.”

Poles has spent two years proving that he’ll pay a premium to protect his franchise quarterback.

Now, he has to decide if Wright is the indispensable cornerstone worth a record-breaking check, or if the “Bears’ Blueprint” requires finding efficiency elsewhere as the Caleb Williams era enters its expensive second phase.

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The Chicago Bears are about to experience some significant turnover in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s secondary.

Given that veteran safeties Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson are all set to become unrestricted free agents next month, and the Bears are currently projected to open this offseason upwards of $5 million over the cap, there are going to be some difficult decisions for general manager Ryan Poles and the front office to make.

Chicago Bears could target South Carolina safety Jalon Kilgore

Beyond getting at least one of the Bears’ veteran safeties to take a hometown discount to return to Chicago, Poles is likely going to look to the NFL Draft for at least one affordable long-term solution, with upside, at safety.

Over at NFL Media, analyst Chad Reuter suggests that South Carolina safety Jalon Kilgore could be an ideal fit for the Bears in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Kilgore, 6-foot-1 and 211 pounds, is a three-year starter in Columbia, and capped his career with 178 total tackles, a pair of forced fumbles, and eight interceptions.

According to Bleacher Report’s Daniel Harms, Kilgore is the kind of player who always finds himself around the football.

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The Chicago Bears‘ 2025 offseason was proof positive of the impact that targeted spending in free agency, on the trade market, and hitting on key positions of need in the NFL Draft can make.

By any reasonable measure, trading for All-Pro offensive guard Joe Thuney, signing top free agent center Drew Dalman, and adding playmakers at the top of the NFL Draft in tight end Colston Loveland and Luther Burden were a resounding success for the Bears. After all, each helped propel a worst-to-first turnaround in the NFC North and played vital roles in advancing to overtime of the NFC Divisional playoffs.

Chicago Bears still need to check a major box

Despite the Bears’ best efforts, as ESPN points out, pass rusher remains a glaring weakness once again this offseason that general manager Ryan Poles and Chicago can’t afford to whiff on again.

“Rebuild the pass rush,” ESPN’s lists as the Bears’ top priority this offseason. “The Bears’ inability to pressure opposing quarterbacks was a glaring weakness all season. Despite spending big last free agency on defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (one sack in eight games before a season-ending injury) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (two sacks), the Bears got very little return on investment. The No. 1 focus must be a big swing on an edge rusher in free agency or the draft.”

Despite Montez Sweat producing a career-high 10 sacks, the bears got very little from the pass rush this past season, whcih seemed to build a self-imposed ceiling over coordinator Dennis Allen’s unit’s impact.

The Seattle Seahawks just showed the world the value of a swarming and dominant pass rush, and wrote the blueprint the Bears must follow if Chicago is serious about pushing for a Super Bowl berth out of the NFC.

Whether it comes by prioritizing an edge rusher early in the NFL Draft, trading premium draft capital to acquire a veteran such as Maxx Crosby, or reuniting Allen with veteran free agent Trey Hendrickson, the Bears need to upgrade the front-seven in a similar way to how Chicago overhauled the offensive line in front of Caleb Williams last offseason.

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General manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears have some daunting decisions and difficult work ahead as the NFL offseason shifts into gear.

After all, the Bears are currently projected to be approximately $5.3 million over the salary cap ahead of free agency getting underway.

With some major upgrades needed to bolster coordinator Dennis Allen’s pass rush, potentially overhaul the secondary with three veteran safeties about to hit the market, and looking to bolster depth across the roster, moving on from steady veteran talent might be inevitable.

Could linebacker Tremaine Edmunds be a Chicago Bears cap casualty?

Few moves would create more spending flexibility than moving on from veteran linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.

Edmunds is coming off a stellar season, producing 61 tackles, one sack, and tying a career high with four interceptions.

However, as The Athletic points out the Bears would create a whopping $15 million in cap space by releasing Edmunds, while absorbing a $2.437 million dead-money charge.

As Kevin Fishbain argues, this might not be a decision based purely on dollars on a spreadsheet, given Edmunds’ broader impact on the defense.

“Before his groin injury,” Fishbain writes of Edmunds, for The Athletic. “He was playing at a Pro Bowl level, but we didn’t see the impact plays as often when he returned. Did the play of special teamer D’Marco Jackson help make Edmunds expendable? What was a more important position in former linebacker Matt Eberflus’ defense might not carry the same weight, especially with Edmunds’ cap hit.

“Whenever deciding to move on from a starter, especially someone like Edmunds, who’s only 27, well-regarded in the building and still a productive player, there also needs to be a replacement plan. If Edmunds is cut, how do the Bears avoid too much of a drop-off at the position? How does T.J. Edwards’ end-of-season ankle injury factor in any decisions? The math may be too simple to keep Edmunds at that number.”

It’s difficult to envision how Poles views the calculous of being able to spread $15 million across multiple positions or signings against Emunds’ impact, especially if he is less than fully healthy by the time the new league year begins nex month.

Regardless, though, few players would create more spending flexibility than cutting Edmunds, so everything needs to be considered. Perhaps, moving off Edmunds is part of a broader strategy to prioritize taking a linebacker early in the NFL Draft or identifying a more affordable player at the position, with upside, ahead of the legal tampering period beginning.

Edmunds’ contract, though, puts him under the microscope as this offseason gets underway.

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Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland’s rookie season was one for the ages.

Loveland, chosen by the Bears with the No. 10 overall pick in last spring’s NFL Draft, finished as Chicago’s leading receiver with 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns, becoming quarterback Caleb Williams’ favorite and most prolific target as the season went along.

It was the comparison to one of the most dominant tight ends in the sport today that sealed the deal with Ben Johnson.

Colston Loveland actually compared himself to Sam LaPorta to Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson

According to Loveland, during a conversation he had with Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson, he actually compared himself to Lions All-Pro tight end Sam LaPorta, whom Johnson essentially built an offense around in Detroit.

“There was one thing when I was on the board,” Loveland said, during an extended interview with CHGO. “And maybe Coach Johnson asked like ‘Who do you compare your game to.’ I said “I think I play a lot like Sam LaPorta.’ He was like ‘Yeah, I agree.'”

Hearing Johnson say “Yeah, I agree” must have been so validating to Loveland, given the outsized role LaPorta played in the Lions offense.

According to Loveland, it was that interaction that stood above the others with Chicago, leading up to last spring’s 2025 NFL Draft.

“I don’t I met with him at the Combine, but at the Pro Day, him, (Ryan) Poles, the whole staff they came. I had a formal meeting with him. It was a long meeting. It was a tough meeting. I was on the board. I walked out of that thinking I killed it too like, ‘Okay I did a good job.’ But I was like ‘They definitely have some interest. They brought everyone out to Pro Day.’ I wasn’t doing anything at the Pro Day. Just to interview.”

Loveland went from first-round pick to focal point of the offense in the span of one season, and there’s no telling how lofty his ceiling as is he goes through an entire offseason program in the Bears’ building and has another year of experience to build on in Johnson’s scheme and catching passes from Williams in 2026.

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Chicago Bears All-Pro guard Joe Thuney dominated his way to winning the first-ever NFL Protector of the Year Award, and by both the eye test and any reasonable metric, it’s easy to see why.

One of the premier interior offensive linemen of his generation, Thuney made a transformational impact along the Bears’ overhauled offensive line in 2025 and played a pivotal role in quarterback Caleb Williams’ sack total plummeting to just 24 after having to withstand 68 as a rookie in 2024.

Inside how Chicago Bears’ Joe Thuney won Protector of the Year

Thuney was exceptional throughout the Bears’ season, but in pass protection, he was the most consistently dominant of any player at his position across the NFL.

According to Pro Football Focus’ Zoltan Buday, Thuney’s overall performance in pass protection was unmatched.

is 2.2% pressure rate ranked fourth overall — trailing only three centers — and again led all guards.

Perhaps most remarkably, of the 65 guards who logged at least 300 pass-blocking snaps in 2025, Thuney was the only one who did not allow a single sack. That achievement is even more impressive given his workload, as he handled 686 pass-blocking snaps, the fourth-most at the position.

“His 2.2% pressure rate ranked fourth overall,” Buday points out, of Thuney. “Trailing only three centers — and again led all guards.

“Perhaps most remarkably, of the 65 guards who logged at least 300 pass-blocking snaps in 2025, Thuney was the only one who did not allow a single sack. That achievement is even more impressive given his workload, as he handled 686 pass-blocking snaps, the fourth-most at the position.”

If Thuney can replicate that kind of success up front, and Williams enters his second year in head coach Ben Johnson’s system with even more time to throw from the pocket in a scheme that is designed to unlock his best traits and upside, Chicago’s offense might be downright lethal in 2026.

The Bears succeeded in keeping Williams upright in 2026, largely because of Thuney’s arrival and instant impact. Thuney just might be instrumental in Chicago taking the next big leap in its evolution as a contender, as well.

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The Seattle Seahawks flew home from Santa Clara with the Lombardi Trophy, but it is the New England Patriots’ path to a Super Bowl that should have most of the NFL standing at attention, including the Chicago Bears.

After all, while critics can point to a historically easy schedule, the Patriots faced that slate because they managed just four wins in 2024 and were picking No. 3 overall in last spring’s NFL Draft, and built a turnkey offense around second-year quarterback Drake Maye who played his way into the MVP conversation throughout the regular season before largely wilting in the playoffs.

In Chicago, that blueprint might as well be hanging over general manager Ryan Poles’ desk.

Chicago Bears can easily follow New England Patriots’ Super Bowl path

The Bears arrived in 2025, a bit ahead of schedule, thanks to head coach Ben Johnson’s arrival accelerating second-year quarterback Caleb Williams’ development in an offense and a scheme that was built to maximize his best traits.

While Chicago enters the 2026 offseason leaps and bounds ahead of where New England was at this time last year, there are some parallels that can be drawn between how each franchise has built its roster and the Bears’ potentially navigable path to a Super Bowl appearance next February, from Between The Hashmarks:

After rebuilding the offensive line with premier veteran talent in front of quarterback Caleb Williams, the second-year quarterback was sacked just 25 times after withstanding a barrage of 68 as a rookie. Joe Thuney and Co.’s dominance up front, along with young talent like Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Colston Loveland, and Kyle Monangai, are an exciting ascendant group around a rising quarterback who fell just shy of passing for 4,000 yards.

Meanwhile, despite the defense surviving by producing a league-high 22 takeaways, general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears seem intent on investing similar resources to give coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense real teeth in a way that last offseason was dedicated to making the offense turnkey around Williams.

Sure, Johnson and the Bears will be tasked with surviving a first-place schedule, but if Chicago deploys its cap space this offseason to fortifying the defense in a way it did around Williams last spring, it could significantly raise the ceiling on next season’s entire outlook.

A quarterback on his rookie contract, with ascending playmakers around him, and a defense potentially infused with difference-makers in the offseason ahead might just be the roster best built to challenge the Seahawks in the NFC and follow a similar blueprint to how general manager Eliot Wolf, head coach Mike Vrabel and the Patriots so rapidly made the leap from AFC East also-rans to conference champions.

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Chicago Bears legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher is all in on Caleb Williams.

It’s easy to see why, after Williams made major strides in his second season, and first in new head coach Ben Johnson’s system.

Williams spearheaded Chicago’s “Cardiac Bears” persona, leading a franchise record six comeback victories this season before orchestrating the largest postseason comeback win in franchise history, over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card round.

Brian Urlacher is fired up about Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams

After reaching the postseason and notching his first career playoff victory, Williams has Urlacher fired up about his trajectory as a quarterback and the Bears’ future in the years to come.

“He’s a badass,” Urlacher said, in an interview with The Chicago Sun-Times. “When things go bad, he’s at his best. When [stuff] breaks down, that dude shows up. He can make every throw, just like he said.

“I was just so impressed. Unbelievable, and I’m so excited for the future. He could be there the next 20 years. He should be.”

Williams was stellar, as he became more comfortable in Johnson’s system, completing 58.1 percent of his passes for 3,942 yards with 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions while guiding a run to the NFC North crown.

If Williams continues on this track, the potential is almost limitless for what Johnson and the Bears will be able to build in the years ahead.

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Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s post-game handshake with Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, following an NFC Wild Card victory, sent shockwaves across the NFL.

It wasn’t even a handshake, really, with Johnson slapping hands with LaFleur as he didn’t even break stride on his way to a raucous home locker room after the Bears’ historic comeback victory over the Packers to advance to the NFC Divisional round.

But, Johnson’s “handshake” with LaFleur bookended a year that began with him extolling how much he enjoys beating LaFleur during his introductory press conference as Bears head coach, back in January, 2025.

Johnson, though, isn’t alone in his disdain for Green Bay.

Former Chicago Bears RB Matt Forte lets his Packers’ hate rip

It’s safe to say that former Bears running back Matt Forte has no love lost for the Packers, and is all-in on Johnson reigniting the rivalry.

“F’ em,” Forte gleefully exclaimed during an appearance on the Hoge and Jahns show. “Forget them. The fact that they were being all butthurt about it is hilarious to me. For years, y’all were on the winning side. Now the tide has turned. If you got a problem with it, do something about it.

“You come to Soldier Field, and you’re talking about you ‘own’ the Bears. Whatever. Talk your trash. You backed it up. Congratulations. The Bears are backing it up [now], and they kicked your butt. So Ben, talk your trash. I mean, it’s gotta be like that.”

The “F–the Packers” era of Bears football has officially arrived, and it’s being fueled by a head coach who isn’t afraid to let his disdain for Green Bay show.

With a playoff victory now in his back pocket, Johnson has turned a lopsided rivalry back into a street fight. For the first time in a while, the Bears are the ones dealing the knockout blows.

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General manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears are going to have some really difficult decisions to make in the weeks ahead.

With free agency looming, the Bears are projrected to be upwards of $5 million over the cap, which could lead to some high-priced veterans being released or traded in order to free up spending flexibility to keep building out the rest of the roster.

Chicago Bears’ WR DJ Moore addresses onslaught of trade rumors

One player whose name has been the subject of rampant trade rumors in the past several weeks, is Bears wide receiver DJ Moore.

Poles and the Bears could create approximately $16.5 million in cap space, while absorbing a $12 million dead-money charge, if Chicago traded Moore with a post-June 1 designation.

Ahead of the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, Moore opened up about the speculation, and his desire to remain in a Bears uniform for the long haul.

“I would love to,” Moore told CHGO, when asked if he’d like to return to Chicago in 2026. “Like I told him in our exit meeting, I love being here. I really have no expectations for this year. Everything went out to went out the window when we got Ben and I was just all in on the team.”

The Bears are in the process of building out a young and ascending receiving corps, around former first-round picks Rome Odunze and tight end Colston Loveland, and second-round pick Luther Burden, which could make Moore expendable and more valuable as a means of creating cap space than a member of Caleb Williams’ supporting cast.

Moore caught 50 passes for 682 yards and six touchdowns last season.

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The Chicago Bears could be about to load up on defense similarly to how the organization built a turnkey offense for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, last spring.

After all, coordinator Dennis Allen’s unit survived mostly on creating an obscene amount of takeaways but struggled to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, which allows a defense to truly dictate to opposing offenses.

That might be about to change in 2026.

Chicago Bears urged to sign Trey Hendrickson when free agency begins

Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro Trey Hendrickson is primed to become one of the most coveted free agent edge rushers to hit the market, and could be a top candidate for general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears to target as an upgrade opposite Montez Sweat.

Veteran NFL analyst Mike Tanier suggests that signing Hendrickson is the move that should be Poles’ top priority in the weeks ahead.

“There are a lot of connect-the-dots rumors circulating about the Bears signing Trey Hendrickson,” Tanier writes for the Too Deep Zone. “Who played for Dennis Allen in New Orleans. It’s probably just offseason clickbait and prattle. But the Bears should absolutely go for it.”

Signing Hendrickson would signal the Bears are all-in on building a defense that can be a complementary weapon to the offense’s late-game heroics that powered the 2025 run to the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Hendrickson, 31, could be enticed by the chance to reunite with Allen and legitimately chase a Super Bowl ring in the NFC.

Over the past three seasons, Hendrickson produced 39 sacks, and if he’s fully healthy this offseason, could be the type of addition that puts the Bears’ defense over the top.

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ development played a starring role in the franchise’s turnaround from worst-to-first in the NFC North.

In addition to setting the franchise record for comeback victories in a season, and nearly becoming the first 4,000-yard passer in franchise history, Williams’ game seemed to get stronger each week as he became more comfortable in first-year head coach Ben Johnson’s system, which seemed to be tailored to his best traits.

Finishing the season passing for 3,942 yards with 29 touchdowns to just seven interceptions, the 2025 season seemed to telegraph what could be the floor for the quarterback Williams has the potential to become for the Bears, in Johnson’s scheme, in the seasons ahead.

Chicago Bears’ D’Andre Swift praises Caleb Williams’ improvement

Bears running back D’Andre Swift shared a backfield with Williams, and says that the second-year quarterback’s improvement was impossible to miss.

“You used the word ‘growth’,” Swift said, during an appearance on NFL Network from the Super Bowl. “That’s the word I was going to use. From Year 1 to Year 2, that’s what I noticed most about [Williams], and that’s every single day. His preparation, his approach to it, is only getting better, week in and week out.”

If Williams, the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft can continue on the trajectory he showed this past season, the Bears just might raise the ceiling on what can reasonably be expected for years to come.

“I’m so excited for his future,” Swift said. “Him and Ben [Johnson], that one-two right there, is going to be great for the city of Chicago.”

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The Chicago Bears‘ final offensive snap of the season is one that won’t soon be forgotten in franchise lore.

With the Bears driving, in overtime, against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoff game, quarterback Caleb Williams had the offense on the cusp of field goal range on a frigid Soldier Field Sunday night with a trip to the NFC Championship Game within reach.

Then, Williams was intercepted by Rams defensive back Kamren Curl that effectively ended Chicago’s season as Matthew Stafford drove Los Angeles down the field to set up a game-winning field goal.

Chicago Bears’ DJ Moore needs just one word to describe the interception

Leading up to the Super Bowl, Moore needed just one word to describe what happened on Curl’s interception.

“Miscommunication,” Moore told CHGO.

The day after the game, last month, Williams echoed those sentiments.

“We’ve got to attack it,” Moore said. “The next time we have something like that, and just go from there.”

It remains to be seen whether Moore and Williams will have the chance to bounce back from that season-ending turnover, given that Moore’s name has become the subject of persistent trade rumors as the offseason gets underway, and Chicago potentially looking to clear up cap space by trading the veteran receiver.

But, if Moore is on the Bears’ roster come September 2026, getting on the same page with Williams is going to be imperative in order to put the interception that ended the 2025 campaign behind Chicago once and for all.

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The Chicago Bears‘ worst-to-first turnaround in the NFC North was one of the biggest storylines across the NFL this season.

Quarterback Caleb Williams nearly became the first quarterback in franchise history to pass for over 4,000 yards while guiding a franchise record six comeback victories in the regular season, en route to a division title and playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card round.

There’s a throughline between head coach Ben Johnson’s arrival, his impact on Caleb Williams’ development, and the Bears becoming an instant contender in 2025.

Chicago Bears’ Rome Odunze reveals Ben Johnson’s biggest impact

Second-year Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze revealed that Johnson’s leadership was a driving force behind Chicago’s turnaround this season.

“I honestly I feel like I learned from the first time he stepped into the building who he was and I learned who he wasn’t,” wide receiver Rome Odunze said, according to ESPN. “He’s been consistent throughout the entire season with his goals for us and with his determination and how he leads, where he wants this organization to go. He’s been super consistent with that, so I think that’s something that, honestly, is a great thing.

“It hasn’t been something that you have to continue to like try and judge or feel out. From the day he stepped in, he wants this organization to be great and he leads by example and vocally and that essence.”

With the division title and a playoff victory already in the rearview, the 2025 season served as the ultimate proof of concept for Ben Johnson’s leadership.

By instilling a culture of unwavering consistency and accountability, Johnson hasn’t just given the Bears a winning season, he has finally given Chicago an identity to believe in for the long haul, and a reason to believe that sustained shots at a Super Bowl are well within reach.

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After barnstorming to the NFC Divisional round and coming an overtime interception away from an NFC Championship Game berth, general manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears may be about to take some big swings in the weeks ahead, this offseason.

While figuring out the puzzle with three free agent safeties is likely a priority, as will be beefing up the interior of the defensive line, few upgrades that Poles could make would be more impactful than adding a dominant pass rusher to fix a glaring weakness in coordinator Dennis Allen’s unit.

Could Chicago Bears trade for Maxx Crosby?

There’s a legitimate chance that the Las Vegas Raiders will shop All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby this offseason, and adding the 28-year-old off his third double-digit sack campaign in the past four seasons would certainly qualify as a big splash and major upgrade for Chicago.

As the offseason gets underway, Chicago Tribune Bears insider Brad Biggs stopped just short of saying there’s zero possibility of Crosby wearing a Bears uniform come September.

“The Bears would need to have legitimate internal conversations about any player of Crosby’s ability who is available — if any are available,” Biggs wrote on February 4. “But my intuition is that general manager Ryan Poles would have a hard time bundling two first-round draft picks or something close to that to acquire Crosby.”

Given that the Bears are currently projected to be upwards of $5 million over the salary cap, that might be the even bigger hurdle than trading two first-round picks for the type of player who just might push Chicago over the top in the NFC.

After all, Crosby remains in the back-end of the prime of his career, and has posted 69.5 sacks through the first seven seasons of his career.

Biggs, though, left the door cracked just enough to suggest that if Crosby’s available, the Bears might actually have interest.

“If the price is lower, then it would be an intriguing option.”

This is where things get interesting.

If teams across the NFL balk at two first-round picks for a pass rusher at Crosby’s age, perhaps the Bears would jump in and offer at least one first-round selection or multiple second-round picks to get the deal done. Maybe there’s even a world where wide receiver DJ Moore and a second-round pick is enough to satisfy the Raiders enough to pull the trigger on a trade that would add a top receiver to a collection of skill players that already includes running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers, around presumptive No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza at quarterback.

If nothing else, Crosby’s market is worth monitoring for the Bears, who could use an infusion of dominance off the edge opposite Montez Sweat, if Chicago is looking to build out a championship defense in 2026, and beyond.

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The Chicago Bears have some interesting decisions to make this offseason.

Projected to be upwards of $5.3 million over the cap, general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears will likely take a hard look at the roster, find players who could potentially restructure their current deal to create cap space, and shop others who might be more valuable as trade chips given the roster’s current construction.

One position that could face some significant scrutiny is at tight end, especially after rookie Colston Loveland’s dominant season that put him squarely in the mix for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Chicago Bears’ Cole Kmet opens up on trade speculation

After Loveland caught 58 passes for 713 yards and six touchdowns, emerging as one of quarterback Caleb Williams’ favorite target, there’s a chance that veteran Cole Kmet might be expendable.

Despite Kmet’s prowess as a blocker, he could be a player Poles looks to trade this offseason.

During an appearance on 104.3 The Score, Kmet admitted he thinks there’s a chance that he could be moved.

“Well, it’s definitely very real,” Kmet said. “I know it’s real because I’ve seen it happen before. That’s just the nature of the business in this league. Maybe, you know, you say nervous or scared, I would say like my first two years in the league it kind of catches you off guard of just how ruthless this business can be, but I think at this stage of my career, you’re kind of accepting of it and understanding that this is just part of the deal and especially a guy like myself or you know you’re talking about DJ or other guys who have played a little bit and you’re on a second deal, you know, unfortunately, as you age you get more expensive and you may not fit in that piece of the puzzle that I was talking about and that’s just the nature of the business.”

It’s entirely possible that Kmet gets dealt, but he also is a key piece of the offensive puzzle as a run-blocker, and still managed to catch 30 passes for 347 yards and two scores last season.

This could be an ideal time for the Bears to move on, though, because trading Kmet pre-June 1 would trigger a $3.2 million dead-money charge but free up $8.4 million in cap space. In an offseason where Poles and Chicago could prioritize finding spending flexibility, moving on from Kmet may be an option the Bears put on the front burner.

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The Chicago Bears‘ defense which thrived on creating turnovers this past season could be about to see some major personnel turnover this offseason.

General manager Ryan Poles and the Bears expended significant resources, both during free agency and throughout the NFL Draft last spring, upgrading the talent around former No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Caleb Williams, on offense, but might be about to replicate that strategy to fortify the defense.

Several of the Bears’ top veteran playmakers in the secondary are set to become free agents, which could dictate how the team allocates its resources, but there is one pressing need that could unlock coordinator Dennis Allen’s unit’s full potential.

Chicago Bears urged to upgrade defensive line

One area that appears to be a top need for the Bears to upgrade this offseason is along the defensive line.

NFL Media analyst Kevin Patra suggests in addition to Shemar Turner returning, Poles and the Bears should make adding quality depth to the defensive line should be Poles’ and Chicago’s top priority.

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New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson became a driving force behind an offense led by Drake Maye that powered a run to Super Bowl LX, but as the rookie out of Ohio State prepares for the biggest game of his life, he revealed that the start of his career very nearly went very differently.

According to Henderson, who was chosen by the Patriots in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, he was expecting the phone call to come in from a dramatically different area code.

TreVeyon Henderson expected Chicago Bears to draft him

Ahead of the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, Henderson says that on draft night, he thought that it was going to be the Chicago Bears who called his name, rather than the Patriots.

“When I was getting the call,” Henderson told reporters. “My TV was a little delayed, and the Chicago Bears, I thought they were up. And, when I got the phone call, I thought that it was the Chicago Bears.”

Things worked out swimmingly for everyone involved, though.

Henderson is now a focal point of the Patriots’ offense, with the opportunity to play for a Super Bowl ring in his first season, and the Bears wound up choosing Kyle Monangai in the seventh round, out of Rutgers, and the rookie back led Chicago in yards from scrimmage during the 2025 campaign.

Still, Henderson admits that he felt some seriously mixed emotions on his call with the Pats.

“When they told me it was the New England Patriots,” Henderson explains. “I was smiling, but my heart sunk at the time. Because, like, during the draft process, everyone was telling me ‘the Patriots are the last team, the last team that you want to go to,’ and I’m believing everything that they said. I’m trying to dodge the Patriots at all costs.

“But then I got picked by them, and it was such a crazy moment.”

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Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles may need to take some bold actions to create cap space this offseason, to continue building around upstart quarterback Caleb Williams, and fortify a defense that lived and died by its ability to create takeaways throughout the 2025 campaign.

It is no secret that the Bears will likely prioritize improving coordinator Dennis Allen’s pass rush, beefing up the interior of the defensive line, and have some major dilemmas to solve at safety, with veterans Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson all slated to be unrestricted free agents.

However, Poles and the Bears are currently projected to begin the offseason approximately $5.3 million over the cap.

Chicago Bears WR DJ Moore the subject of persistent trade rumors

Poles and the Bears’ front office can create some spending flexibility by restructuring contracts, and moving some money around, but cap casualty type of cuts and trades may be the most expeditious way to open up cap space.

Over at ESPN, top analyst Bill Barnwell suggests that DJ Moore could be one of the most likely wide receivers to be traded this offseason.

“GM Ryan Poles signed Moore to a four-year, $110 million extension in the summer of 2024,” Barnwell points out for ESPN. “A deal that starts next season. Moore’s $23.5 million base salary in 2026 is already guaranteed, and if he’s on the roster in mid-March, $15.5 million of Moore’s $23.5 million salary in 2027 becomes fully guaranteed. The Bears (or any team acquiring Moore) would essentially be on the hook for a one-year, $40 million deal or a two-year, $49 million pact before revisiting his contract after 2027.

“Moore is still a starting-caliber wideout, and there should be interest if the Bears do listen to offers. A middle-round pick would be a realistic return, but the real benefit might be freeing up $24.5 million in 2026 cash, which would allow Johnson and Poles to realign the offense in the coach’s preferred vision.”

It seemed apparent by season’s end that Moore and Williams were not quite on the same page, despite the top wideout catching 50 passes for 682 yards and six touchdowns this past season.

So, if the Bears are looking to reallocate some of the $23.5 million Moore is due this offseason towards fortifying the defense while expanding the roles of young receivers Rome Odune, Luther Burden, and second-year tight end Colston Loveland, Moore could be a fascinating trade chip for Chicago to deploy in the weeks ahead.

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This is going to be a pivotal offseason for general manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears.

One year removed from an overhaul along the offensive line that helped cut Caleb Williams’ sacks from 68 as a rookie to 24 in 2025 while quickly launching the second-year quarterback’s development, and an infusion of youthful offensive playmakers during the NFL Draft, Poles and Chicago could be about to replicate the building process on defense.

Chicago Bears’ defensive line blueprint coming into shape?

With the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl both in the rearview mirror, and the NFL Combine, free agency, and April’s NFL Draft looming large, Poles and the Bears could turn the focus to the defensive line in the weeks and months ahead.

Over at Pro Football Focus, analyst Ryan Smith argues that the Bears’ best course of action to improve the front-seven, is to focus on it during the draft.

“The Bears were one of the pleasant surprises of the 2025 season,” Smith points out. “Winning the NFC North and a playoff game in the wild-card round against the Packers. For Chicago to take the next step and compete for a Super Bowl, addressing the defensive line is a must.

“The Bears’ defensive line struggled versus the run (31st-ranked 42.2 PFF run-defense grade) and failed to generate much pressure (25th-ranked 65.4 PFF pass-rush grade). T.J. Parker could make a difference in both areas, as he graded above 78.0 as both a pass rusher and a run defender this season. He would be a natural plug-and-play fit in Dennis Allen’s defense.”

Smith suggests that T.J. Parker could be a top target, who could instantly elevate the Bears’ defensive line.

Last season, the Clemson product posted five sacks and 37 total tackles, and could be an instant contributor in Allen’s scheme.

It would make sense for the Bears to prioritize the front-seven during the NFL Draft, especially given the cap constraints that Poles could be working with, expected to enter the offseason approximately $10.8 million over the cap.

If Carter is on the board when the Bears go on the clock, he could be too ideal a fit for Chicago to pass up.

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Joe Thuney became a stabilizing force and the cornerstone of the Chicago Bears‘ offensive line rebuild in 2025.

Thuney, acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs in a trade last offseason, was a critical piece of quarterback Caleb Williams’ sack total dropping to 24, from the 68 he had to withstand as a rookie, as well as when it came to opening up running lanes for backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.

It’s no surprise, then, that Thuney is a finalist for the NFL’s first-ever Protector of the Year Award, set to be handed out to the top offensive lineman in the league during this year’s NFL Honors ceremony Thursday night.

Chicago Bears’ Joe Thuney gets big endorsement

Over at NFL Media, analyst and former quarterback David Carr believes that Thuney should be considered the runaway favorite for the award.

“First and foremost,” Carr writes, making his pick for Protector of the Year. “I’m a big fan of this award because there’s finally a light on the guys who do the dirty work for the star quarterbacks of the league. These players don’t get the fantasy shine or national attention; rather, they simply produce when they’re on the field. So, while there are multiple great options for this honor, I’m leaning toward Thuney, who didn’t give up a sack all season and garnered PFF’s top pass-blocking grade at the guard position. His versatility even allowed the Bears to swing him out to left tackle as an injury replacement in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.”

Thuney was downright stellar this season, and saved some of his most dominant performances for the Bears’ pair of postseason games.

According to Pro Football Focus, Thuney didn’t allow a single sack all season, only allowed one quarterback hit and 15 pressures, in 686 pass-blocking snaps.

From his own dominance to how instrumental he was to the Bears’ turnaround overall along the offensive line, Thuney deserves major recognition, and just might get it in the days ahead.

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The Chicago Bears have some daunting and difficult decisions to make when NFL free agency begins in earnest next month.

Just in the secondary, alone, safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jaquan Brisker, and Kevin Byard are all set to hit the open market, unless Chicago and general manager Ryan Poles are able to strike a deal to keep some combination of the veteran safeties in Bears uniforms for 2026 and beyond.

Then, there’s the matter of one of the Bears’ top cornerbacks and an emerging star who could command a robust market.

Nahshon Wright Wright opens up about Chicago Bears future

Nahshon Wright Wright was one of the Bears’ brightest bright spots and emergent stars in 2025, intercepting a career-high five passes and posting a career-high 54 total tackles, showing what he’s capable of in an expanded role, en-route to being selected to the Pro Bowl.

Monday in Santa Clara, the site of this year’s Pro Bowl games, Wright opened up about his desire to return to the Bears, and to coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense.

“I definitely would love to be back in Chicago, but who knows,” Wright said, according to Mark Carman of CHGO_Bears. “We’ll see.”

There aren’t many easy answers for Poles and the Bears, who are currently projected to open the offseason roughly $10.6 million over the cap.

However, Wright is coming off the strongest season of his career, seems to have carved out a meaningful role in Allen’s defense, and could just be one of the players that Poles and the Bears prioritize keeping around in 2026 and beyond.

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The NFL Draft starts in Mobile, Alabama, and the Senior Bowl, and the Chicago Bears could be on the cusp of adding one of the pre-draft all-star game showcase’s biggest standouts.

There’s little doubt that general manager Ryan Poles, the front office, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen could look to expend significant resources on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, perhaps even Chicago’s first-round pick in April’s NFL Draft.

During the lead up to the Senior Bowl, few position groups had a stronger overall performance than the defensive linemen, and it’s entirely possible that Poles and the Bears’ traveling party left with a new player atop their draft board.

Chicago Bears linked to top defensive lineman Lee Hunter

Over at Pro Football Focus, top NFL Draft analyst Trevor Sikkema believes the Bears will prioritize defensive line help, projecting Poles and Chicago select Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter at No. 25 overall, off a stellar week in Mobile.

“Hunter made a case for the prospect who had the best overall week at the Senior Bowl,” Sikkema writes for PFF. “He was impactful in team drills and one-on-ones as a run stopper and a pass rusher. He was good at UCF in years prior, but he really took his game to the next level at Texas Tech this past season, earning an 84.5 PFF run-defense grade and a 75.0 PFF pass-rush grade against true pass sets. His Senior Bowl momentum brings him into Round 1 conversations.”

The Bears potentially gearing up to snag one of the premier interior pass rushers to bolster a lackluster pass rush from the 2025 campaign, who is also dominant against the run, in a division that features both Josh Jacobs and Aaron Jones, as well as a conference where Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey figure to be Super Bowl roadblocks, makes a lot of sense for Chicago.

If Hunter is available, after posting 2.5 sacks with one forced fumble in 2025, at 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds, he just might become a key centerpiece of a looming Bears defensive rebuild.

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The Chicago Bears might have to pack their bags for an extended road trip.

As the NFL continues to expand its international reach, and broaden its slate of international games, signs could be pointing to the Bears being one of the teams playing abroad during the 2026 season.

Could the Chicago Bears be earmarked for a Madrid, Spain game in 2026?

Monday, as Super Bowl week kicked off in earnest, the NFL announced several of its venues for International Series games in 2026, including a game set to be played in Madrid, Spain.

In the press release from the league announcing the game, there’s a noteworthy hit on why the Bears may be a favorite to take Madrid by storm sometime next fall.

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There are a few events on the NFL calendar that the entire league descends on one place, and the Chicago Bears are the talk of the town this week.

As some of the league’s general managers, coaches, top executives, and scouts are in Mobile, Ala. for the Senior Bowl, head coach Ben Johnson and the Bears have the NFL’s power brokers buzzing.

Chicago Bears’ 2025 season turning heads across the NFL

After orchestrating a worst-to-first turnaround in the NFC North, and winning a playoff game, the Bears’ and Chicago’s front office personnel aren’t necessarily under the microscope during Senior Bowl week with teams trying to figure out what direction they’ll take at the top of the NFL Draft with some of the top prospects, but the town is apparently abuzz with Bears praise.

According to Chicago Tribune Bears insider Brad Biggs, folks around the league were wildly impressed by Johnson and Chicago’s 2025 campaign.

“Walking around town since Monday,” Biggs said, during an appearance on 670 The Score. “You sort of reconnect with people you haven’t seen since the Combine or people you haven’t seen in a longer stretch than that, or familiar face that maybe worked for the Bears 15 years ago, or even longer.

“I had people going out of their way, when we were in passing to stop and say ‘unbelievable what they did this season,’ or ‘how different was that?’ and ‘look at the difference a coach can make,’ that as kind of the overriding theme.”

Johnson enters NFL Honors as a Coach of The Year finalist, after the Bears capped the 2025 season as the No. 2 seed, and now with a young and ascending roster built around a young quarterback originally chosen No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft, the future is brighter in Chicago than it has been in years.

The rest of the league is taking notice. Some folks around the NFL are eager to see how Johnson and Co. answer some major questions about their sustainability as contenders for years to come.

“Supreme respect for [Ben Johnson] and the job they did as a staff,” Biggs said. “Nobody gave off a ‘flash-in-the-pan’ vibe, but, certainly probably have a lot more questions about their ability to recreate that level of success than your core listeners have.

“Can they stay healthy? What will it look like when they’re playing a first-place schedule, what’s the quarterback going to look like? Where are the pieces on defense? How will they fare in close games next year?”

.@BradBiggs is hearing so much respect for Ben Johnson's Bears at the Senior Bowl down in Mobile, Alabama.

"I had people going out of their way, when we were in passing to say, 'unbelievable what they did this season.'" pic.twitter.com/MB03tXJvNv

— 670 The Score (@thescorechicago) January 29, 2026

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Chicago Bears rookie running back Kyle Monangai surpassed every reasonable expectation set for him, after being chosen in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, out of Rutgers.

Monangai quickly played his way into a timeshare alongside veteran running back D’Andre Swift, en route to posting 947 total yards from scrimmage, his output surpassed the yardage totals of fellow rookies Colston Loveland, chosen in the first round and Luther Burden, Chicago’s second-round pick.

In a league where the running back position has consistently been devalued by teams across the league, the Bears have built a prolific backfield that featured Swift’s 1,087 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, and Monangai, who surpassed 100 rushing yards twice, on his way to rushing for five scores.

Chicago Bears have major Kyle Monanai, D’Andre Swift dilemma

Where the Bears go from here, especially entering the offseason roughly $9.7 million over the salary cap, could be fascinating.

Head coach Ben Johnson clearly found a winning formula in terms of the timeshare between Monangai and Swift in 2025, but where the Bears go from here at running back could be a defining feature of the offense in 2026 and beyond.

Monangai showed that he’s plenty capable of shouldering a significant workload, and Swift remained at times the feature back in Johnson’s ground attack.

Whether Monangai did enough and showed enough to convince Poles, Johnson, and the front office that they don’t need to prioritize taking a running back in the early rounds of the NFL Draft remains uncertain.

So, too, does whether Swift provides more value alongside Caleb Williams in the backfield or as a cap casualty, freeing up roughly $7.5 million in spending flexibility if the Bears cut him this offseason.

Monangai’s emergence as a rookie was one of the more pleasant surprises of this past season; his role moving forward and how big a piece of the puzzle he comprises is a big decision for Poles, Johnson, and the Bears to ponder in the coming months.

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The Chicago Bears might be on the cusp of a defensive overhaul this offseason.

While general manager Ryan Poles, the front office, and coaching staff have some major questions to answer in the secondary, with JaQuan Brisker, Kevin Byard, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson all set to become free agents, Chicago might sink some serious resources into fortifying the front seven.

After all, for all of the takeaway havoc coordinator Dennis Allen’s secondary was able to create and thrive in, the Bears’ pass rush left much to be desired, so it wouldn’t be the least bit shocking to see Poles and Chicago prioritize adding blue-chip talent along the defensive line and at linebacker during free agency and April’s NFL Draft.

Chicago Bears linked to Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald

Given that the Bears’ defense finished 25th in the league against the run in 2025, it’s easy to see why improving up front along the line of scrimmage could be a top organizational priority this offseason.

Over at NFL Media, analyst Bucky Brooks projects the Bears will plug the hole along the interior of the defensive line by selecting Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald with the No. 25 overall pick.

“Beefing up the interior will help coordinator Dennis Allen improve a porous run defense,” Brooks writes. “That ranked 29th in rushing yards allowed per carry (5.0) in 2025. McDonald’s disruptive presence as a supersized defensive tackle could quickly help the Bears solve their biggest defensive problem.”

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Ben Johnson was one of the most coveted head coaching candidates for at least two hiring cycles, and more than lived up to the expectations in his first season as the Chicago Bears‘ head coach.

Turns out, landing in Chicago, where he had the opportunity to coach Caleb Williams, and instantly put his fingerprints on the roster from a personnel standpoint, wound up being an ideal destination for Johnson who is a Coach of the Year finalist after guiding the Bears to the NFC North Division championship and a playoff victory in his first season.

Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson named one of decade’s top coaching hires

Over at ESPN, Bill Barnwell ranked every head coaching hire made this decade, so far, with Johnson making the list at No. 8 out of 37 overall.

“The prodigy,” Barnwell writes of Johnson. “Bears fans treated Johnson like a superstar addition when they landed the Lions’ offensive coordinator as their next head coach, and so far, he has generally lived up to the hype. There have been game management issues, especially early in the season, but Johnson quickly built one of the league’s best run games and helped refine quarterback Caleb Williams’ game.

“The Bears benefited from excellent timing and good fortune late in games in 2025, which might not stick around, but I’m not sure you can find a Bears fan on the planet who is upset with the decision to hire Johnson after one season.”

It’s easy to presume that Johnson is merely scratching the surface in terms of what he’ll be able to get out of Williams, as the former No. 1 overall pick continues to develop, and what the Bears’ offense has the potential to evolve into the more of Johnson’s personnel is in place and familiarity grows for everyone involved.

Regardless, the young core that the Bears have built around their head coach and quarterback duo have set the stage for Chicago to be a team on the rise, and it just comes down to Johnson getting the roster across the finish line.

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The Chicago Bears have some difficult decisions to make when NFL free agency gets underway in March.

Unlike last season, the Bears are currently projected to be upwards of $9.7 million over the salary cap, but have plenty of holes to plug and positions to upgrade, especially across the defense.

While general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears will find a way to create spending flexibility and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will likely see some big infusions of talent this offseason, one of Chicago’s most dominant defenders in 2025 poses one of the most vital questions for the front office this offseason.

Chicago Bears must figure out how to handle Kevin Byard

Veteran safety Kevin Byard more than found a home in the Bears’ secondary in 2025, leading the league with seven interceptions, and helping power a Chicago defense that led the league in takeways.

However, set to become a free agent, Byard is the biggest question that the Bears must answer this offseason, according to ESPN.

“The 32-year-old safety led the NFL with seven interceptions and logged the fourth-most passes defensed (8) on the Bears’ defense,” Courtney Cronin points out for ESPN. “Chicago’s brass values Byard’s contributions on the field as much as it does his impact in the locker room, where he was a captain in back-to-back seasons after signing a two-year, $15 million contract with the Bears in 2024. Byard is open to returning to Chicago and the Bears have expressed a desire to bring him back. But they also have decisions to make on three other safeties ahead of free agency, most notably Jaquan Brisker. “Kevin’s a special player,” general manager Ryan Poles said. “I have no problem saying that’s a player that we would like to have back. But, again, when you add the other safeties into that mix and all the other decisions we have across the roster, with cap restraints and things like that, it’ll be a challenge.”

Byard’s impact on the field, posting 93 total tackles, eight pass breakups, 6.5 tackles for loss, and his seven interceptions only bolsters the leadership value that he brought to the table this season.

Given that Byard, Brisker, and fellow safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson are each set to become free agents, there are no easy answers here.

Poles and the Bears may need to pay a premium to keep Byard in Chicago after his strong season, but he might be one of the few players on the roster, and a burgeoning defense that the franchise can least afford to lose.

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General manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears could be about to flip the script.

After committing significant resources at the top of the free agent market, and early rounds of the NFL Draft, building a turnkey offense around second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, Chicago could be primed to aggressively fortify the defense in the months ahead, this offseason.

There might even be a familiar face sitting atop the Bears’ free agent target board.

Could the Chicago Bears reunite with Khalil Mack in free agency?

While the Bears’ defense led the NFL in takeaways, much of the success on that side of the ball came from coordinator Dennis Allen’s secondary, despite a pass rush that struggled to get home.

Montez Sweat led the Bears with 10 sacks, in one of the most dominant seasons of his career, but Gervon Dexter was the only other Chicago defender to register more than five sacks on the season, finishing the 2025 campaign with 6.5.

Help could be on the way.

Over at CBS Sports, Zachary Pereles suggests that former Bears All-Pro Khalil Mack could be an ideal fit for Chicago once free agency gets underway.

“Mack makes a return to Chicago, where he starred from 2018-21,” Pereles writes for CBS. “The Bears need to juice their pass rush without spending a ton, and Mack fits both.”

Boasting 113 career sacks, and posting 5.5 sacks for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025, Mack should see a robust market but likely nothing compared to what All-Pro Trey Hendrickson might command.

Given that the Bears are currently roughly $9.7 million over the cap, Poles and the front office are going to have their work cut out for them to make the kind of impact additions on defense that they were able to build around Williams last offseason, but if Mack is open to taking slightly below market value to chase a ring opposite Sweat, this could be an ideal destination for everyone involved.

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Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker practiced against quarterback Caleb Williams every day for the past two seasons, and had a front-row seat for the former No. 1 overall pick’s heroics this past season.

Williams made major strides in his first season in head coach Ben Johnson’s offense, while a young collection of skill players developed alongside him in 2025.

Jaquan Brisker has major praise for Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams

Brisker believes that Williams is merely scratching the surface.

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The Chicago Bears should be wildly optimistic about Caleb Williams’ future, after what the second-year quarterback proved capable of in his first season in head coach Ben Johnson’s system.

Before powering the Bears to overtime of the NFC Divisional Playoffs, Williams guided a franchise record seven comeback victories, nearly became the first quarterback in franchise history to pass for 4,000 yards in a season, and led Chicago from the largest deficit in team postseason history to beat the rival Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round.

Still, there are some key areas Williams must progress in this offseason, if the Bears are going to take the next step towards a Super Bowl championship in 2026.

Chicago Bears’ 2026 outlook could hinge on Caleb Williams’ accuracy

For all of the positives to take away from Williams’ second season, his accuracy remains a going concern.

Williams completed just 58.1 percent of his passes in 2025, and Pro Football Focus’ John Kosko suggests that it’s the area the Bears need to see him improve the most next fall.

“Williams struggled as a rookie,” Kosko points out for PFF. “Taking the most sacks in the NFL while posting a 23.2% inaccurate throw rate, the third-worst mark in the league. With new head coach Ben Johnson and a revamped offensive line, Williams dramatically improved his sack avoidance in 2025, finishing with the third-best sack rate in the NFL.

“That progress didn’t extend to accuracy, however. Even with a top-three play-caller and a top-three offensive line, Williams still ranked second-worst in the league with a 23.7% inaccurate throw rate. Still, given the raw arm talent he possesses, it’s difficult not to be intrigued by what he could become if he can improve his down-to-down consistency and accuracy.”

Another year of familiarity in Johnson’s system, and Johnson’s familiarity with what Williams does best, should lead to an offense that’s even more tailored to its quarterback than the one that finished the 2025 season. However, in order for Williams to maximize it and the Bears to make strides on Chicago’s rapid improvement in 2026, the former No. 1 overall pick is going to need to make the kind of improvements in accuracy next season that he did in avoiding sacks under pressure this past.

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Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s coaching staff is becoming a favorite target of teams across the league looking to fill head coaching and coordinator vacancies.

Earlier this week, offesnive coordinator Declan Doyle pulled his name from consideration for the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive vacancy, and as it turns out, the Bears might even be one step closer to keeping another rising star in Chicago for at least another season.

Chicago Bears’ Al Harris might not be on Pittsburgh Steelers’ wishlist

Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris is widely viewed as a rising star in the coaching community, and was instrumental in powering Chicago’s defense to leading the league in takeaways this past season.

Not surprisingly, Harris has been linked to multiple defensive coordinator vacancies, and taken interviews throughout this hiring cycle.

However, at least one role that Harris isn’t in the running for (for now) is on new head coach Mike McCarthy’s staff with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Mark Kaboly reports that Harris isn’t among the initial candidates for the Steelers’ defensive coordinator job.

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The Chicago Bears appear primed to invest significant resources this offseason to improve a defense that while it led the league in takeaways, struggled getting off the field in key spots, and forced Caleb Williams and the offense into having to win seven comeback victories in 2025.

General manager Ryan Poles and the Bears might inexplicably have the chance to sign one of the premier players that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen coached during his time as head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

Chicago Bears could be an ideal fit for Demario Davis

According to Kay Adams, former New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis could be on the cusp of testing free agency.

If Davis hits the market, the Bears would be a natural fit, and could be one of his preferred destinations, after spending seven seasons together in New Orleans.

The Bears will likely be shopping at the top of the free agent market, if not also targeting some of the top prospects at the position, looking to upgrade at linebacker, and Davis makes a lot of sense to be a top target.

A five-time All-Pro selection, Davis posted 64 tackles with half a sack last season.

According to Pro Football Focus, Davis also logged 13 quarterback pressures, 28th most among all linebackers, and his 55 run-stops rank seventh.

The Bears are currently projected to open the offseason approximately $9 million over the cap, but if general manager Ryan Poles and Chicago can create some spending flexibility, Davis fits the bill of the kind of player who could be a top target to spend it on.

Davis, 37, wouldn’t just add a strong leadership voice and scheme familiarity in Allen’s second season calling the defense in Chicago, but also a consistent contributor who always seems to find himself around the football.

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The Chicago Bears saw key contributions from several players who began the 2025 campaign flying under the radar.

Cornerback Nashon Wright made the Pro Bowl, safety Kevin Byard led the league in interceptions, Luther Burden’s role expanded as his rookie season went on, as did seventh-round rookie running back Kyle Monangai’s.

However, the Bears also benefitted from several players whose contributions flew just under the radar but still proved instrumental to Chicago making a run to the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Austin Booker named Chicago Bears’ unsung hero of 2025 season

NFL Media analyst Kevin Patra put together a list of each team’s secret superstar from the 2025 season, with edge rusher Austin Booker getting the nod for the Bears.

Booker was stellar when he was healthy and able to get on the field, and while the Bears are likely to prioritize adding a top-of-the-depth-chart edge rusher to pair opposite Montez Sweat next season, Booker proved that he is plenty capable of contributing quality snaps as part of a pass-rush rotation.

If the Bears’ defense makes the kind of strides many believe it needs to in 2026, and can follow in the path of Caleb Williams’ and the offense’s climb up the rankings in 2025, this is going to be a dangerous team to watch next season and Booker could play a key role in making it happen.

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Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles may be about to lose one of his top lieutenants.

As tends to happen for successful organizations, the Bears are becoming a top target for teams looking to fill general manager, head coaching, and coordinator roles, hoping to capture some of what helped propel Chicago’s turnaround in 2025.

While Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle withdrew from consideration for the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive coordinator vacancy, one of Chicago’s top front office executives is still garnering significant interest.

Chicago Bears’ Ian Cunningham set for second interview for Falcons GM job

According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham is slated for a second in-person interview with the Atlanta Falcons, for their general manager vacancy.

Cunningham, 40, is widely viewed as a rising star as an evaluator inside league circles, and arrived in Chicago in 2022 as Ples’ assistant general manager.

Prior to landing with the Bears, Cunningham spent five seasons climbing the ranks in the Philadelphia Eagles’ front office, rising from a director of college scouting in 2017 to becoming general manager Howie Roseman’s Director of Player Personnel in 2021.

If Cunningham were hired by the Falcons, he’d be working alongside former quarterback Matt Ryan, who was recently hired as Atlanta’s President of Football, with new head coach Kevin Stefanski already in place.

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The Chicago Bears could see some major turnover this offseason.

Thanks to Chicago’s top three safeties set to be free agents, and potentially investing in upgrades along the defensive line and opposite edge rusher Montez Sweat, there could be some big changes to the starting lineups on both sides of the ball before the 2026 season kicks off.

One of the Bears’ starters could be set for a massive payday, if he reaches the open market when free agency gets underway in March.

Chicago Bears’ Braxton Jones named a top free agent

After spending last offseason adding three marquee pieces along the offensive line, one of the Bears’ stalwarts up front could be on the move this offseason.

Pro Football Focus put together a list of the top-100 players set to become free agents, including Bears left tackle Braxton Jones, who made the cut at No. 56 overall.

“Jones played just 210 snaps in 2025 after suffering a knee injury in Week 4,” PFF points out. ‘But he was effective when healthy in prior action. As a starter in 2024, he earned an 80.8 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 70.2 PFF run-blocking grade. While the 26-year-old will need to improve his pressure-to-sack conversion rate, his track record could still warrant a starting opportunity.”

Part of what could drive Jones’ market up, is the fact that, according to PFF, he is the No. 3-ranked free agent offensive tackle in this year’s class.

Given Ozzy Trapilo’s emergence in 2025, the Bears might be reluctant to overspend to keep Jones in place, even after allowing only two sacks and 15 pressures in 136 pass-blocking snaps this season. However, if Jones’ injury concerns keep his price down, or force him into a one-year prove-it deal type of situation, the Bears may be inclined to bring him back to preserve some continuity up front, in front of quarterback Caleb Williams.

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The Chicago Bears were one of the breakout teams across the league in 2025, with several rising stars playing marquee roles by season’s end.

With the offseason just getting underway, and some major changes potentially coming on both sides of the ball, there could be room for a breakout star or two to follow in Luther Burden, Colston Loveland, and Nahshon Wright’s footsteps as breakout stars who largely powered Chicago’s success this past season.

Ozzy Trapilo named potential Chicago Bears breakout star in 2026

Over at Pro Football Focus, analyst Dalton Wasserman put together a list of each team’s top breakout candidate for the 2026 season, including offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo getting the nod for the Bears.

“Trapilo’s respectable level of play once he was inserted into the starting lineup,” Wasserman writes for PFF. “May have earned him the Bears’ left tackle job heading into 2026. From Week 12 through the wild-card round, Trapilo earned a 73.5 PFF overall grade — a top-30 figure among qualified offensive tackles. It should be noted that he had not played left tackle since 2022, so there should be further improvement in store.”

As PFF points out, Trapilo only allowed two sacks and 15 quarterback pressures in 283 pass blocking snaps in 2025.

As the Bears look to find the most stable and consistently dominant pair of tackles for next season, Trapilo’s strong finish to this season give him a solid chance to emerge as a Week 1 starter next fall.

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The Chicago Bears‘ success was one of the most shocking developments across the NFL, as first-year head coach Ben Johnson guided his squad to overtime of the NFC Divisional Playoffs, after winning the NFC North crown.

Thanks in large part to second-year quarterback Caleb Williams ascending as the season progressed and he became more comfortable and efficient in Johnson’s system, and young weapons hitting their stride, the Bears went from a team on the rise, to one that knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions behind a powerful running game, came back to beat the Packers in the regular season, before orchestrating the largest postseason comeback in franchise history over their rivals from Green Bay.

However, not everyone is buying into these Bears’ success being sustainable.

National Analyst suggests Chicago Bears could take step back in 2026

Over at CBS Sports, Bryan DeArdo suggests the Bears could be among the playoff teams from 2025 most likely to regress in 2026.

“Chicago won eight one-possession games in 2025,” DeArdo writes for CBS. “[That] was largely the byproduct of Caleb Williams’ uncanny play in the clutch and a defense that led the league in turnovers forced. Those strengths largely overshadowed Williams dreadful 58.1% completion percentage Chicago’s defense finishing 23rd in the league in points allowed.

“In 2026, the Bears will need more consistent play from Williams and better overall play from their defense if they are going to avoid becoming next year’s version of this year’s Washington Commanders.”

It’s understandable to be skeptical of the Bears’ ability to continue to embody their “Cardiac Bears” persona next season, but just as understandable to expect Chicago to be taking part in fewer one-possession games than they did this season.

After all, when Johnson, Williams, and the offense take the field at Halas Hall in the spring to begin installing the offense, it is going to have evolved significantly from where it began at the start of last season. Likewise, the Bears are relying on young receivers such as former first-round pick Rome Odunze, second-round selection Luther Burden, and first-round tight end Colston Loveland to continue playing significant roles in the passing game.

The youth that the Bears have assembled on offense, behind a veteran and dominant offensive line should give plenty of optimism that Chicago’s run is sustainable, especially if Poles and the front office allocate significant resources to build out a similarly dominant and efficient defense to back it.

The signs point to the Bears being a team on the rise, much rather than one that was merely a one-hit wonder in 2025, and might just have all the pieces in place to be the team to beat in the NFC North in the years ahead.

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The Chicago Bears went about as far as quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense could take them in 2025, and this upcoming offseason might be the moment general manager Ryan Poles invests significant resources in building a defense that can change that.

While the Bears were as opportunistic a defense as there was in football this past season, leading the league in takeaways, Chicago struggled to generate a consistent pass rush other than veteran Montez Sweat’s pressures, and as a result struggled getting off the field, at times.

That could be about to change.

Chicago Bears linked to Florida EDGE Caleb Banks

Last offseason, Poles and head coach Ben Johnson set out to create a turnkey offense for Williams to walk into in his second season.

Drafting tight end Colston Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick, adding wide receiver Luther Burden in the second round, after fortifying the offensive line by adding guards Jonah Williams and Joe Thuney and center Drew Dalman underscored that commitment.

This offseason, though, the Bears could put their resources to work building out coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense.

Over at Pro Football Focus, analyst Dalton Wasserman projects the Bears will select University of Florida edge rusher Caleb Banks with the No. 25 overall selection.

“Chicago’s path to true championship contention will require significant defensive improvement,” Wasserman writes for PFF. “Starting with the pass rush after the team ranked 25th in the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade this season. While he saw limited playing time this year, Florida’s Caleb Banks offers a high-upside edge rusher after generating more than 50 pressures across the 2023 and 2024 seasons.”

Adding Banks, 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, to the interior of the Bears’ line would instantly free up Chicago’s edge rushers from double-teams, upgrade the run-defense, and potentially provide Allen with a legitimate weapon capable of generating a consistent interior pass rush.

If the Bears are targeting the front-seven, and Banks is available when Chicago goes on the clock, he could be the kind of building block piece Polies would target while rebuilding the defense.

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There’s a chance the Chicago Bears‘ secondary sees significant turnover this offseason.

After becoming a driving force behind the Bears’ defense leading the league in takeaways in 2025, Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson are all set to become free agents, which could lead to an overhaul of the safety room under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

If the Bears are intent on prioritizing bolstering the defense this offseason, prioritizing adding a playmaker at safety in the NFL Draft could be on general manager Ryan Poles’ agenda.

Chicago Bears linked to Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman

NFL Media NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah links the Bears to Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, in his latest 2026 NFL mock draft projection.

“The Bears figure to be in the safety market,” Jeremiah writes for NFL Media. “With the contracts expiring for Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Thieneman can play both safety spots and could cover in the slot if needed.”

At six feet, and 205 pounds, Thieneman has the potential to be a plug-and-play starter on the back-end of Allen’s defense.

Last season in Eugene, Thieneman produced 92 tackles with one sack, two interceptions, and five pass breakups.

Drafting a versatile talent like Thieneman would allow Ryan Poles to reset the salary cap at the safety position without sacrificing the ball-hawking identity that defined the Bears’ defense in 2025. While saying goodbye to established veterans is never easy, the Oregon star’s range and tackling ability suggest he could be the centerpiece of Chicago’s secondary for years to come.

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