Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles had a quieter free agency this time around. The Bears made a few signings to reload their roster after some salary cap dumps last week. But Poles still made improvements, primarily increasing the defense’s speed.

Here’s a look at every player the Bears have signed so far.

Chicago entered the offseason without a safety who contributed last season under contract. Poles addressed the need by going after one of the best safeties available in free agency.

The Bears signed Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal after he helped the Seattle Seahawks win a Super Bowl in February. Bryant became a dominant safety over the past two seasons after he transitioned to the position from cornerback. He had seven interceptions, two forced fumbles and 13 passes defended over those two years.

Bryant will give the Bears a dynamic playmaker in the secondary, something they’ll need after letting safeties Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker go to other teams.

“Leadership, taking the ball away and just being great each and every week,” Bryant said. “We can definitely do that taking it one game at a time and continue to perfect greatness.”

The Bears created a hole at linebacker after they decided to release Tremaine Edmunds last week to create cap space. They filled it by bringing in a cheaper option who’s coming off a career year.

Chicago signed Devin Bush to a three-year, $30 million deal. Bush bounced around a few teams after being a former first-round pick before he stepped up for the Cleveland Browns last year. He finished with a career-high three interceptions and returned two for a touchdown. That came along with a career-high 125 tackles, seven for a loss, as well as two sacks and four quarterback hits.

Bush should give Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen the speed he’s looking for. Bush should play outside and be a magnet to the football.

“I’ve seen a lot of things, been through a lot of different situations,” Bush said. “So I think I bring that type of experience to this team.”

Chicago relied on a relationship Bears head coach Ben Johnson had to bring in a speedster wide receiver and returner. The team signed Kalif Raymond to a one-year, $5.1 million deal.

Raymond previously spent time with Johnson in Detroit when he was the offensive coordinator for the Lions. Raymond finished with 24 catches last season for 289 receiving yards and one touchdown. He had a career-high 616 receiving yards in 2022, followed by 489 and 215, respectively. The Lions also used Raymond as a dependable punt and kickoff returner.

He’ll likely fill a few spots for the Bears. Raymond will be a good slot option for quarterback Caleb Williams after the departures of DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus. He should also become the team’s primary punt returner and maybe even kickoff returner if the team doesn’t bring Devin Duvernay back.

“I’ve always molded myself to wherever a team needs me, that’s kind of how I’ve been here for so long,” Raymond said. “But I’m prepared to do that, and I’ve been able to do that the last few years, so whatever they need me to do, I’ll be ready to do.”

Poles had a clear goal of wanting to boost the middle of his defensive line a year after not getting consistent push from the unit. Signing Neville Gallimore to a two-year, $12 million contract was a good way to do just that.

Gallimore did well as a run-stuffer last season for the Indianapolis Colts with his 6-foot-2, 307-pound frame. He finished with 3.5 sacks, six quarterback hits and four tackles for loss as he served as a rotational tackle for the Colts. Gallimore will likely take the spot of former Bears tackle Andrew Billings.

“I wanted to be a part of something special,” Gallimore said. “I wanted to have the opportunity to take my game to another level, and I thought this would be a great fit for what we wanted to do defensively.”

Cam Lewis built himself a nice little niche as a backup in the secondary and special teamer with the Buffalo Bills since he joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2019. The Bears hope to replicate that success after signing Lewis to a two-year deal.

Lewis appeared in 76 games over six seasons with Buffalo – he spent his rookie season on the practice squad – and played all 17 games last season. He has one interception in his career and three forced fumbles. Lewis should be a versatile depth piece in the secondary who can contribute on special teams.

Boosting the pass rush was another goal of Poles heading into free agency. He brought in Kentavius Street as a depth piece to boost that group.

Street jumped around multiple teams during his career before settling with the Falcons over the past few seasons. He appeared in seven games last season and had two sacks, two quarterback hits and three tackles for loss.

Chicago added another left tackle to its competition when it signed Jedrick Wills Jr. to a one-year deal. A former top-10 pick, Wills started 57 of the 58 games he played for the Browns over five seasons but hasn’t played regularly since 2023 because of injury. He decided to sit out the entire 2025 season.

The Bears need a starting left tackle after starter Ozzy Trapilo injured his patellar tendon in the NFC Wild Card against the Green Bay Packers. Chicago expects Trapilo to return at some point later in the season. Wills could find a new opportunity to play up to his potential.

“They wanted to have me here on the roster and gave me another chance to play,” Wills said. “Basically, there’s competition. Just trying to prove what I can do and see where that takes me.”

The Bears also brought back some of their own players this week.

Chicago re-signed defensive end Daniel Hardy, linebacker D’Marco Jackson and backup quarterback Case Keenum to two-year deals. They signed safety Elijah Hicks, offensive lineman Jordan McFadden and left tackle Braxton Jones to one-year deals.

Bradbury was in Arizona on Friday, where he spends time training during the offseason, when the New England Patriots called him out of the blue. Over one minute, the Patriots told him he’d been traded to the Bears. Then came a second one-minute call from the Patriots before Bradbury saw the news released to the public.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson capped off a dramatic 10 minutes when he called Bradbury to welcome him to Chicago.

“In a matter of about 10 minutes, everything changed, and I hadn’t had a chance to even tell my wife,” Bradbury said over Zoom on Thursday. “So that was a shock to the system. But I think once you download it, once you process it, you start thinking through the logistics, and then you get excited, so definitely shocked though.”

Once the dust started to settle, Bradbury realized the situation he was suddenly in. His wife was thrilled once she heard about the trade since she’s originally from Naperville.

Bradbury also started to realize the football situation he was now in. Yes, he left a team that had just reached the Super Bowl, led by second-year quarterback Drake Maye. But he joined a Bears team that had just won the NFC North and lost in the NFC divisional round in overtime, led by second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.

The excitement only grew once Bradbury spent some time with Williams on Sunday at Halas Hall to finalize the trade.

“I’ve heard great things about him, and that reaffirmed everything that I’ve heard,” Bradbury said. “He’s an awesome guy, he’s obviously an awesome player, so I’m looking forward to getting to work with him and helping him any way I can and learning from him as well.”

Bradbury has a history of working with great quarterbacks during his seven-year career.

He spent five seasons as Kirk Cousins’ center with the Minnesota Vikings and one year as Sam Darnold’s in Minnesota. He also helped Maye last year during a most valuable player-like season.

Those quarterbacks had success with Bradbury as their general on the offensive line. Cousins threw for more than 4,000 yards four times and at least 29 touchdowns three times with Bradbury. Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, and Bradbury and Maye finished with 4,394 and 31 touchdowns last season.

Bradbury learned a lot through his experiences with Cousins and Darnold. Cousins provided veteran leadership as Bradbury came into the league. Meanwhile, Darnold and Bradbury learned from each other.

Bradbury found himself in a veteran role with Maye and tried to impart his wisdom whenever the young quarterback needed it. The play on the field wasn’t bad either, allowing just two sacks and 29 quarterback pressures.

He’ll try to find those spots with Williams as he continues his progression after a big season leap.

“I think the quarterback position is so unique that there’s so many people talking to them, there’s so much on their plate that you don’t want to be a guy that just adds to that,” Bradbury said. “I kind of want to pick my spots and find ways. If I can help him in any way, then great, that’s what I’m here for. But I don’t want to add. I don’t just want to be another voice in their head.”

He’ll try to fill the role that former Bears center Drew Dalman left behind. Dalman surprised the Bears last week when he suddenly retired at the age of 27 after spending one season in Chicago.

Williams grew as a quarterback with Dalman as his center. Not only did he allow only one sack and 31 quarterback pressures last season. Dalman showed how smart he was, quickly grasping Johnson’s offense and helping Williams see everything opposing offenses presented.

That’s why Bears general manager Ryan Poles, Johnson, offensive line coach Dan Roushar and assistant offensive line coach Kyle Devan acted quickly to find Dalman’s replacement. They evaluated the landscape at center and decided Bradbury was the right replacement to help Williams.

“The big thing for us is finding the right fit in terms of what’s going to be adaptable and that’s going to fit into, especially the outside zone scheme, mid zone,” Poles said. “And we kind of went through that list and what’s best for us. You could go into free agency, you could trade. We felt like the best thing for us to do was to make that trade with a veteran center that’s played with a young quarterback before, that’s very good with his communication, smart, been in different systems. We feel like he can plug in and have command of that [offensive] line.”

While Bradbury is excited to work with a talented quarterback like Williams, he was “fired up” to play under Johnson.

Bradbury watched from the sidelines when the Vikings played the Detroit Lions just how hard the offensive line played with Johnson as its offensive coordinator. The Lions offense played a physical style of football and ran the ball a lot.

There are some offenses that a lineman wants to play in. Bradbury will get his chance after it came out of nowhere.

“It’s a physical brand of football, which I think everyone wants to sign up for,” Bradbury said. “The brief time I got to talk with him, he relayed that message. And so it’s going to be exciting, it’s going to be a lot of hard work, and that’s what I’m ready to sign up for.”

The phones started ringing at 11 a.m. Monday, as NFL free agency negotiations began. Teams can negotiate with unrestricted free agents before the new league year, and free agency officially starts on Wednesday.

The Chicago Bears are looking to build on a roster that returned to the playoffs for the first time in five years and won their first NFC North title since 2018 under head coach Ben Johnson. Bears general manager Ryan Poles will have some more room to do it after they traded DJ Moore, released linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and center Drew Dalman’s sudden retirement last week.

Here’s the latest free agency news. Stay here all week long for live updates from Halas Hall and across the league.

Former Bears special teamer and backup safety Jonathan Owens will sign a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts, per multiple reports.

Owens spent the last two seasons with the Bears making an impact both in the secondary and special teams. He started fives games and played in 34 games during that time. Owens had his lone career interception in 2024 and had two passed defended over two years.

The move comes after the Bears mostly decided to move on in their safety room. Chicago signed Coby Bryant as a started and re-signed backup Elijah Hicks. Starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker both signed with different teams.

Chicago will lose both of their starting safeties from last season. Jaquan Brisker is expected to sign a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, per multiple reports.

Brisker wasn’t expected to sign with the Bears at the start of the offseason despite saying he’d like to play for the team moving forward. He had played a full season for the first time in his career after having multiple concussions keep him off the field during his first three seasons.

The Bears originally drafted Brisker in the second round in 2022. He appeared in 35 games over three seasons with Chicago before he played up to his potential last season. Brisker had his best game in the NFC divisional round and ended the season with one interception, one sack and eight passes defended.

The move comes after the Bears decided to sign Coby Bryant and let Kevin Byard sign with the New England Patriots.

The Bears announced that they re-signed offensive linemen Jordan McFadden to a one-year deal.

McFadden joined the Bears and played in a backup role last season, appearing in seven games during the regular season on special teams. But he stepped up for the Bears during their playoff run last season.

After left guard Joe Thuney was forced to move to left tackle against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC divisional round because of Ozzy Trapilo‘s injury, the Bears inserted McFadden into the starting left guard spot. McFadden made the most of his opportunity, performing well and earning another year in Chicago.

He had previously appeared in 13 games over two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Chicago will enter another player to its left tackle competition. The team will reportedly sign left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Cleveland Browns originally drafted Wills with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Alabama, where he was a Second Team All-American in 2019. He started 57 of the 58 games he played for the Browns over five seasons.

Wills’ last two seasons were marred by injury. His 2023 year was cut short to eight games by an MCL injury and then he only played in five games in 2024 as he continued to deal with pain management from the injury. He decided to sit out the entire 2025 season.

The Bears are in need of a starting left tackle after starter Trapilo injured his patellar tendon in the NFC Wild Card against the Green Bay Packers. Chicago expects Trapilo to return at some point later on in the season.

Poles brought back Braxton Jones on a one-year contract along with Theo Benedet, both of whom had started games at left tackle last season. Kiran Amegadjie is also expected to be in the mix after competing for the spot during training camp last year.

There won’t be a reunion between the Bears and safety Kevin Byard. The New England Patriots are exepcted to sign Byard to a one-year deal for $9 million. The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was first to report the news.

Byard came off a renaissance year at the age of 32 with the Bears last season. He led the league with seven interceptions and earned his third All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors of his career. Byard also added eight passes defended and finished with four tackles for loss.

He was also a major vocal leader for the Bears on and off the field.

A reunion with the Bears seemed likely at the end of the season when both sides seemed open to it if it made sense. But the two sides didn’t come to an agreement before Monday’s negotiations started and the Bears went on to sign Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal.

Chicago will still look for another starter at safety since Jaquan Brisker was a free agent. But the Bears will likely fill that need in the draft given that Brisker’s asking price might be too high for Chicago.

Former Bears defensive tackle Chris Williams signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the signing.

Williams played in 31 games over two season with the Bears. He served in a more reserved, rotational role with Chicago and finished with one sack, two quarterback hits and one tackle for loss.

The Baltimore Ravens continued a dramatic 24 hours for the organization Wednesday morning. Baltimore will reportedly sign top pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal, per multiple reports.

The move comes after a dramatic decision Tuesday night that shook the NFL world. It was announced that Baltimore would back out of its trade with the Las Vegas Raiders that would’ve netted the Ravens pass rusher Maxx Crosby for two first round picks.

The Ravens reportedly didn’t want to go through with the deal once the new league started Wednesday because Crosby couldn’t pass a physical exam with the team.

Chicago was likely interested in both Hendrickson and Crosby as options to boost its pass rush. But it quickly became clear that both players would be out of the Bears’ budget in both salary cap space and draft capital.

Depending on what the Raiders plan on doing with Crosby, the Bears could potentially get back in the mix depending on the asking price from Las Vegas.

Chicago came to its first agreement in the defensive end room. The team will reportedly sign Kentavius Street. Jordan Schultz was first to report the signing.

Street spent the last three seasons as a rotational player at defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons. He appeared in seven games last season and finished with two sacks, two quarterback hits and three tackles for loss.

The San Francisco 49ers originally drafted Street in the fourth round out of North Carolina State in 2018. He appeared in 35 games over three seasons with the 49ers before he spent a season with the New Orleans Saints in 2022. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Street to a one-year contract in 2023 and then traded him to the Falcons that season.

Street will be another depth piece for the Bears in the defensive tackle room. He should be another fast and efficient rotational player at 6-foot-2, 315 pounds.

The Bears will add to their secondary and special teams depth by signing cornerback Cam Lewis to a two-year deal. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was first to report the signing.

Lewis playing in all 17 games for the Buffalo Bills last season. He finished with four passes defended and two forced fumbles. The Bills used him both as a backup cornerback and a special teams piece.

The Bills signed Lewis as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He appeared in 76 games over six season with Buffalo — he spent his rookie season on the practice squad. Lewis has one interception in his career and three forced fumbles.

The move fills a hole for the Bears on defense and special teams as they continue to fill out their roster.

Cornerback Nahshon Wright won’t be returning to the Bears after a memorable season. Wright will reportedly sign a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the New York Jets, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Wright put together a career year with the Bears after he signed a one-year deal with the team last offseason. He finished with a career-high five interceptions and forced two more fumbles, none more memorable when he forced one against the Philadelphia Eagles’ “tush push” play. His play eventually earned him his first Pro Bowl honor.

It was a story that came out of nowhere. Wright had spent the first three years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys before he spent a year with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. He played up to his potential with his length thanks to Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and defensive backs and defensive pass game coordinator Al Harris.

The Bears were expected to let Wright leave given what they have left in the room. Chicago should return starters Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon to go along with Zah Frazier, who missed his entire rookie season for a personal matter. Frazier is expected to back this offseason.

The Bears will bring in a veteran wide receiver and returner who has experience with Johnson.

Chicago will reportedly sign former Detroit Lion Kalif Raymond to a one-year, $5.1 million contract. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was first to report the signing.

Raymond is set to join the Bears after spending the last five seasons with the Lions. He spent time with Johnson in Detroit when he was the Lions’ offensive coordinator from 2022 to 2024.

Raymond finished with 24 catches last season for 289 receiving yards and one touchdown. With Johnson, he put together some of his best numbers as a slot receiver. He finished with a career-high 616 receiving yards in 2022 followed by 489 and 215, respectfully. During his time with the Lions, he scored eight touchdowns as a receiver.

The Lions also used Raymond as a dependable punt and kickoff returner. Raymond led the league with 32 punt returns last season for 241 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per return, over 15 games. He also showed success in kickoff returns, returning six kickoffs for 161 yards.

Raymond will also likely replace Devin Duvernay, at least as the team’s punt returner.

Duvernay was the team’s kickoff and punt returner last season and had consistent success. He averaged 11 yards per punt return and 26.7 yards per kickoff return. The Bears could decide to re-sign Duvernay in the coming weeks or ask Raymond to pick up kickoff return duties as well.

Click here to read the full story about the signing.

Chicago will bring back its entire left tackle room from last season. The Bears will reportedly sign Braxton Jones to a one-year, $10 million deal. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was the first to report the signing.

Poles will bring back Jones after it was uncertain whether he would be part of the Bears’ plans moving forward. Jones only played in six games for the Bears last season because of a knee injury. The Bears activated Jones off injured reserve before the team’s NFC divisional game in January.

He had won the starting left tackle spot last season coming out of training camp after he had held the spot over the previous three seasons. Jones started the first four games of the season before he was replaced in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Theo Benedet took over as the starter before he was eventually replaced by second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo.

The Bears once again face uncertainty at the position after Trapilo injured his patellar tendon late in the NFC Wild Card game. Chicago doesn’t expect Trapilo to return late in the next season, leaving a wide open hole at the position for the time being.

Jones will get another chance to prove what he can do fully healthy. Both Poles and Johnson have commented in the past that they don’t truly know what Jones looks like at 100%. He’ll likely compete with Benedet, Kiran Amegadjie and whoever else the Bears decide to add this offseason.

Click here to read the full story on the signing.

Chicago is going to keep its quarterback room intact. The Bears will reportedly re-sign quarterback Case Keenum to a two-year, $8 million deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Keenum will return to the Bears for a second straight season after serving as the third quarterback last season. He didn’t appear in a game last season, always serving as the emergency quarterback behind starter Caleb Williams and backup Tyson Bagent.

Although he didn’t play, Keenum played an important role in Williams’ development last season. Keenum was as a valuable veteran who served as a coach on the field, helping Williams and Bagent pick up what the Bears coaching staff was asking them to do.

The move also keeps another quarterback on the roster as rumors continue to swirl surrounding Bagent. Some teams have shown interest in trading for Bagent in what’s expected to be a weak quarterback market both in free agency and in the draft.

Chicago will have an experienced backup quarterback in the room if they do decide to move Bagent later in the offseason.

Edmunds found a new home Monday a few days after the Bears released him. The New York Giants signed Edmunds to a three-year, $36 million deal, according to the NFL Network.

Edmunds will be joining the third team of his career after spending the past three seasons with Chicago. He was set to have his best season during his tenure with the Bears last year before a groin injury forced him to miss four games. He had four interceptions in the first eight games last year before the injury.

Over three seasons, Edmunds played 45 games with the Bears, serving as a defensive leader both on and off the field. He finished in the top-three in terms of total tackles during his two seasons and had four interceptions in a season twice in Chicago.

New York was previously rumored to be interested in trading for Edmunds a couple of weeks ago when the Bears allowed Edmunds to seek out a trade. Instead of giving up any draft capital, the Giants waited to sign Edmunds until Monday.

The Chicago Bears filled their open starting linebacker spot Monday afternoon by bringing in a veteran.

Chicago will reportedly sign Devin Bush to a three-year, $30 million contract. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the signing.

Bush put together one of the best seasons of his career with the Browns last year. He finished with a career-high three interceptions and returned two for a touchdown. That came along with a career-high 125 tackles, seven for a loss, as well as two sacks and four quarterback hits.

At 5-foot-11, 235 pounds, Bush was difficult to defend with his speed. Bush played on the outside and had a nose for the ball, something that Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will love to add to his defense.

The Bears will still need to make improvements in their defensive line and safety rooms. But with Monday’s signings, those moves will likely be smaller until the draft takes place in April.

Click here for the full story on the signing.

The Las Vegas Raiders let go of one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, but brought in one of the best centers. Las Vegas reportedly signed center Tyler Linderbaum to a three-year, $81 million contract, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Raiders made the move after they traded defensive end Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for two first-round picks on Friday. Las Vegas’ deal with Linderbaum would make him the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history. Linderbaum earned three Pro Bowl nods after be selected by the Ravens No. 25 overall in the 2022 draft.

Chicago was likely interested in both Linderbaum and Crosby. The Bears needed to boost its pass rush and needed a new center after Dalman’s sudden retirement.

But the price for both players was too much for Poles to make a deal.

The Chicago Bears filled one of their two open starting safety spots Monday by reportedly bringing in a Super Bowl champion.

The Bears will reportedly sign Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal, per multiple reports. The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported the signing.

Bryant was one of the top safeties available in free agency. Over the past two seasons, Bryant made a big impact for the Seahawks’ secondary as he transitioned over to safety. He had originally started his career at cornerback during his first two seasons in Seattle. But when head coach Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde took over in 2024, they fully moved Bryant over to safety.

Bryant had all seven of his career interceptions over those two seasons at safety. He played in 32 games and started 26. Bryant’s also forced seven fumbles during his four-year career and has 17 passes defended during that span.

The move came as the Bears had no safety who contributed last season under contract heading into next season. Starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker and backups Jonathan Owens are all set to be free agents at the start of the new NFL year Wednesday.

But there was some thought that the Bears could bring back Byard, who earned his third All-Pro honors last season at the age of 32. Both the Bears and Byard seemed open to a potential reunion this offseason if it made sense for both sides.

Bryant’s reported signing would make that reunion more difficult to facilitate. It’s likely the Bears will use one of their early draft picks in April’s draft to fill that other starter spot.

Click here for the full story on the signing.

The Bears reportedly started Monday by beefing up their defensive tackle depth. They reportedly signed veteran Neville Gallimore to a two-year, $12 million contract. The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was first to report the deal.

Gallimore spent one season with the Indianapolis Colts last year and appeared in all 17 games. The Colts used Gallimore mostly to stop the run with his 6-foot-2, 307-pound frame. He played in 40% of the Colts defense’s snaps and also played some special teams, playing 17% of the snaps.

Gallimore spent time with the Miami Dolphins during training camp in 2024 before he eventually signed with the Los Angeles Rams. He appeared in 14 games for the Rams plus two more playoffs games. Gallimore made a big impact during that Rams playoff run, finishing with 2.5 sacks over two games.

The Dallas Cowboys originally drafted Gallimore in the third round of the 2020 draft. He played in 52 games over four season for Dallas.

Gallimore, who was born in Canada, finished last season with career-highs in 38 tackles to go along with 3.5 sacks and six quarterback hits.

The move beefs up the interior of the Bears’ defensive line, which needs depth help. Gallimore will likely take the spot of backup defensive tackle Andrew Billings, who will be a free agent at the start of the new league year Wednesday.

Click here for the full story on the signing.

One of the top pass rushers available in free agency is off the board for the Bears. Jalean Phillips will reportedly sign a four-year, $120 million with the Carolina Panthers, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Phillips was seen as an option for the Bears to boost their pass rush if they couldn’t afford Trey Hendrickson. But the Panthers also put Phillips out of the Bears’ market, giving him $30 million a season.

The Philadelphia Eagles traded a 2026 third-round draft pick to the Miami Dolphins in November for Phillips, who was one of the better pass rushers in the league. Phillips ended his tenure with the Eagles with two sacks in eight games.

Wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus’ tenure with the Bears will reportedly last for one season. Zaccheaus will sign with the Atlanta Falcons, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Zaccheaus proved to be a dependable target for the Bears early in his lone season with Chicago. But as the season progressed and after he dropped more passes, Zaccheaus took more of a reserved role. Rookie tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III earned more of those targets and produced more down the stretch and in the playoffs.

Zaccheaus, a former undrafted free agent, finished 2025 with 39 catches for 313 yards and two touchdowns. He’ll return to the Falcons, who spent the first four seasons of his career. Zaccheaus will also reunite with Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham, who was the Bears’ assistant general manager last season.

Glenbard West alumnus Alec Pierce is reportedly staying with the Indianapolis Colts. The Glen Ellyn-native will reportedly sign a four-year, $116 million deal to stay with the Colts, according to the The Athletics’ Diana Russini.

Pierce earned one of the richest wide receiver deals in free agency history as he decided to be with the team that draft him in the second round out of Cincinnati in 2022. It was reported that multiple different teams were interested in Pierce, who was one of the top wide receivers available.

Pierce earned the deal after having his best two seasons in back-to-back years. He finished with 824 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2024 and 1,003 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season.

For a second straight year, Poles was busy during the week before free agency.

Poles made his biggest move of the offseason when he traded Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick. Not only did Poles get back an unexpected high draft pick for Moore. But he also cleared $16.5 million in salary cap space by trading Moore before June 1.

The moves continued later that day Thursday when the team reportedly released Edmunds. Chicago had allowed Edmunds to seek a suitor for the trade. But once the Bears released him, they created $15 million in cap space to potentially go after a big-time player either in free agency or through trade.

The other big move was outside of Poles’ control. Dalman’s sudden retirement created a hole at center a year after it seemed like Poles solved most of the offensive line problems. Chicago will have $10 million more in cap savings because of Dalman’s retirement.

Poles didn’t wait until the start of free agency to go find Dalman’s replacement. The Bears traded a 2027 fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots for Garrett Bradbury. He also re-signed linebacker D’Marco Jackson after Jackson stepped up for the Bears when they needed him to at times last year.

Those moves opened things up cap-wise for the Bears. Chicago should have roughly $26 million in cap space after those moves. The NFL raised the salary cap to $301.2 million this season.

Poles’ approach in free agency this offseason will be different compared to years past.

Since taking over as Bears general manager in 2022, Poles has primarily focused on building a roster from the ground up. Now he’ll look to supplement his roster in specific areas to turn the Bears into a Super Bowl contender.

Poles hasn’t been afraid to spend money, especially last offseason. He signed Dalman, the best available center from last offseason’s free agent group, along with defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to big contracts.

The Bears could shoot for the best of the best and go after players like defensive end Trey Hendrickson. It’s clear the Bears cleared cap space to bring in a bigger contract, whether that’s through free agency or trade. There was some thought that the Bears could potentially go after the top center Tyler Linderbaum. But they’ll likely try to draft a center of the future after trading for Bradbury.

But Poles might take a more restrained approach and shop from the middle shelf if the asking price is too much for some players. The Bears will have a bunch of holes to fill. Some of the moves for the prime positions, like the pass rush, could be boosted through the draft instead.

Here’s a look at the Bears’ top positions of need heading into free agency.

Talks in the NFL begin with the quarterback. That will be the case again this year, even if there aren’t too many great options.

This year’s quarterback group available in free agency isn’t one of the best over the past few seasons, but there are some interesting options. Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis has flashed at times, including against the Bears, and a team should be interested in his potential. Former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray will also be available as the Cardinals are set to release him at the start of the new league year. Miami also released Tua Tagovailoa, which presents another interesting option.

There will also be some familiar veterans available for teams needing a bridge. Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers and Marcus Mariota will be available to sign.

The most robust markets will be at edge and cornerback. Hendrickson highlights the edge group along with Philadelphia’s Jaelan Phillips, the Los Angeles Chargers’ Odafe Oweh and Seattle’s Boye Mafe. Tampa Bay’s Jamel Dean, Kansas City’s Jaylen Watson, New Orleans’ Alontae Taylor and Seattle’s Tariq Woolen lead the cornerbacks group.

It will also be a good year for a team looking for a linebacker. Jacksonville’s Devin Lloyd, Atlanta’s Kaden Elliss, Kansas City’s Leo Chenal, Philadelphia’s Nakobe Dean and Green Bay’s Quay Walker are some of the best linebackers available.

Poles had a quieter start to free agency compared to years past. A week after Poles traded DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, released linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, had center Drew Dalman suddenly retire and traded for center Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots, he mostly filled holes on the roster instead of taking a big swing for a top free agent.

He’ll now continue to fill out the roster before fully turning his attention to April’s draft. Here are three of the most interesting things Poles said Thursday.

Both Poles and Bears head coach Ben Johnson said the team would have to make some tough decisions heading into the offseason. That included more than a few tough goodbyes, whether they were expected or not.

Chicago decided not to re-sign veteran leaders such as Edmunds and safety Kevin Byard, who signed with the New England Patriots after Chicago signed Coby Bryant. The Bears also traded away Moore while Dalman surprised them with his sudden retirement.

“I appreciate everything those guys that aren’t here did for our organization to help us ascend and get better and get us on the doorstep of being a championship caliber team,” Poles said.

Poles didn’t get into too much detail about Dalman’s retirement. He wished Dalman the best in the future and was proud of how quickly his staff worked to trade for Bradbury.

In terms of players like Byard, Poles explained that the team had a plan for certain players to come back. But once the Bears saw the landscape of what was available, primarily at safety, they felt like Bryant’s speed and physicality were exactly what defensive coordinator Dennis Allen looked for in his defense.

Trading Moore, whom Poles called one of his favorite players, was a tough decision. But it was one that Poles and even Moore realized had to be made given Moore’s expensive contract and the young, talented players in the receiver room. Moore did send a video to Poles’ child to explain it was all just a business decision.

“There’s a financial piece of it, but you’re also looking at the room,” Poles said. “And when you have Rome Odunze, and how talented he is. I know he went through some injuries last year. You look at what Luther did. Again, that’s why you follow the draft board. I did not expect Luther Burden to be where he was, and he showed up and showed some big-time flashes. Every time that dude touches the ball, special things can happen. And then obviously our tight end is a special player as well. So with that said, you have to look at different moves that are going to help you continue to build your football team, and that’s what we felt like was best.”

While the Bears made some moves the past couple of weeks, they didn’t make “the” move.

Many fans hoped the Bears would take a big swing for one of the top free agents, such as defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who ended up signing with the Baltimore Ravens. Others wanted Poles to make a big trade for Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, whom the Ravens originally traded for last week before they backed out of the deal before the new league year started Wednesday."

But Poles repeated a line he’s used for most of the offseason. He wanted to make decisions that would benefit the Bears in the short-term and the long-term.

“We want to sustain success,” Poles said. “We talk about that a lot. In order to do that, we have to be very calculated with the moves we make. So when we were looking into different situations, we took that into account. We felt like sticking with our plan going into free agency, that was the best thing for us.”

That doesn’t mean that the Bears didn’t reach out. Poles confirmed that he did check in on what it would take to trade for Crosby before Las Vegas attempted to trade him to Baltimore.

“We’re always going to monitor every situation,” Poles said. “Sometimes it fits and it works with what you’ve got going on in terms of resources; sometimes it doesn’t. We were involved. We checked into it. We looked to see if it made sense, had some dialogue, but I’ll just leave it at that.”

Although the Bears didn’t land a big fish, that doesn’t mean Poles didn’t feel like the Bears accomplished what they searched for in free agency.

Chicago entered free agency with a common theme in the type of guys they wanted to bring in and landed those types of players.

“We wanted to get faster and more explosive, and I think we did that,” Poles said. “I know we did that. We want guys that are passionate about football, that play our style and our brand of football, and I know we did that. And then, especially the leadership, to continue to enhance our roster so that we can continue to push forward, be a championship-caliber team. I know we got better through this phase.”

The Bears added plenty of speedsters on defense. Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush proved last year that they can get to the ball quickly and make an impact by forcing turnovers. Rotational players like defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, defensive end Kentavius Street and cornerback Cam Lewis also play with speed.

Poles and the coaches noticed that they needed to play with more speed toward the ball defensively during their final stretch of last season and the playoffs. They feel like they found that this week.

“In order to play the style we want to play, we need to be able to close on the football a lot faster than we have been doing,” Poles said. “So that was the emphasis going into this. And again watching those guys’ tape, we answered that.”

The league’s new year began at 3 p.m. Wednesday, which marked the official start of free agency. Deals that teams negotiated over the early negotiating period during the previous two days can now become official.

A bunch of Chicago Bears deals became official Wednesday. The team announced two big trades that it made last week. Chicago announced the trade of wide receiver DJ Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for a 2026 second-round pick and the trade of a 2027 fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots for center Garrett Bradbury.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles won’t have much more to spend on other than role players. Chicago had roughly $6.8 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap.

Chicago will enter another player to its left tackle competition. The team will reportedly sign left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Cleveland Browns originally drafted Wills with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Alabama, where he was a Second Team All-American in 2019. He started 57 of the 58 games he played for the Browns over five seasons.

Wills’ last two seasons were marred by injury. His 2023 year was cut short to eight games by an MCL injury and then he only played in five games in 2024 as he continued to deal with pain management from the injury. He decided to sit out the entire 2025 season.

The Bears are in need of a starting left tackle after starter Ozzy Trapilo injured his patellar tendon in the NFC Wild Card against the Green Bay Packers. Chicago expects Trapilo to return at some point later on in the season.

Poles brought back Braxton Jones on a one-year contract along with Theo Benedet, both of whom had started games at left tackle last season. Kiran Amegadjie is also expected to be in the mix after competing for the spot during training camp last year.

There won’t be a reunion between the Bears and safety Kevin Byard. The New England Patriots are expected to sign Byard to a one-year deal for $9 million. The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was first to report the news.

Byard came off a renaissance year at the age of 32 with the Bears last season. He led the league with seven interceptions and earned his third All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors of his career. Byard also added eight passes defended and finished with four tackles for loss.

He was also a major vocal leader for the Bears on and off the field.

A reunion with the Bears seemed likely at the end of the season when both sides seemed open to it if it made sense. But the two sides didn’t come to an agreement before Monday’s negotiations started and the Bears went on to sign Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal.

Chicago will still look for another starter at safety since Jaquan Brisker was a free agent. But the Bears will likely fill that need in the draft given that Brisker’s asking price might be too high for the Bears.

The Baltimore Ravens continued a dramatic 24 hours for the organization Wednesday morning. Baltimore will reportedly sign top pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal, per multiple reports.

The move comes after a dramatic decision Tuesday night that shook the NFL world. It was announced that Baltimore would back out of its trade with the Las Vegas Raiders that would’ve netted the Ravens pass rusher Maxx Crosby for two first round picks.

The Ravens reportedly didn’t want to go through with the deal once the new league started Wednesday because Crosby couldn’t pass a physical exam with the team.

Chicago was likely interested in both Hendrickson and Crosby as options to boost its pass rush. But it quickly became clear that both players would be out of the Bears’ budget in both salary cap space and draft capital.

Depending on what the Raiders plan on doing with Crosby, the Bears could potentially get back in the mix depending on the asking price from Las Vegas.

Former Bears defensive tackle Chris Williams signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons. Schefter reported the signing.

Williams played in 31 games over two season with the Bears. He served in a more reserved, rotational role with Chicago and finished with one sack, two quarterback hits and one tackle for loss.

Chicago will reportedly sign former Detroit Lion Kalif Raymond to a one-year, $5.1 million contract. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was first to report the signing.

Raymond is set to join the Bears after spending the last five seasons with the Lions. He spent time with Johnson in Detroit when he was the Lions’ offensive coordinator from 2022 to 2024.

Raymond finished with 24 catches last season for 289 yards and one touchdown. With Johnson, he put together some of his best numbers as a slot receiver. He finished with a career-high 616 receiving yards in 2022, followed by 489 and 215, respectively. During his time with the Lions, he scored eight touchdowns as a receiver.

The Lions also used Raymond as a dependable punt and kickoff returner. Raymond led the league with 32 punt returns last season for 241 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per return over 15 games. He also showed success in kickoff returns, returning six kickoffs for 161 yards.

Raymond has three career punts returned for touchdowns, including one for 65 yards last season.

Raymond started his career as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans in 2016. He bounced around with the New York Giants and Jets in 2017, returned to the Titans for two seasons before signing with the Lions in 2021.

The signing should fill a couple holes the Bears have. Raymond will likely fill that slot receiver spot for the Bears after they traded DJ Moore last week, and Olamide Zaccheaus is set to return to the Atlanta Falcons. He should receive targets behind top wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III and tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet.

Raymond will also likely replace Devin Duvernay, at least as the team’s punt returner.

Duvernay was the team’s kickoff and punt returner last season and had consistent success. He averaged 11 yards per punt return and 26.7 yards per kickoff return. The Bears could decide to re-sign Duvernay in the coming weeks or ask Raymond to take kickoff return duties as well.

Duvernay’s biggest return came against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11 when he returned a kickoff for 56 yards in the final minute. The return set up the game-winning field goal by kicker Cairo Santos as time expired.

The annual honor recognizes a player from each NFL team who embodies courage, compassion, commitment and community service. Bears athletic trainers organized the vote that was later voted on by players. Billings will receive the award during a banquet Wednesday.

Billings completed his third season with the Bears last year. He played in all 17 games during the regular season and both playoff matchups a year after a torn pectoral muscle limited Billings to eight games in 2024. Billings had 31 tackles, five quarterback hits and one sack last year and is set to be a free agent when the new league year starts Wednesday.

The Cincinnati Bengals originally drafted Billings in the fourth round in 2016 and he spent three seasons with Cincinnati before he opted not to play during the 2020 season. He spent a year each with the Cleveland Browns and the Las Vegas Raiders before he signed a three-year contract with the Bears.

The honor is named after Ed Block, a longtime Baltimore Colts athletic trainer who was a pioneer in the athletic training field. Block and his wife dedicated their lives to helping children in distress as foster parents and advisers.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles will bring back Jones after it was uncertain whether he would be part of the Bears’ plans moving forward. Jones only played in six games for the Bears last season because of a knee injury. The Bears activated Jones from injured reserve before the team’s NFC divisional game in January.

He had won the starting left tackle spot last season, coming out of training camp after he had held the spot over the previous three seasons. Jones started the first four games of the season before he was replaced in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Theo Benedet took over as the starter before he was eventually replaced by second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo.

Poles originally drafted Jones in the fifth round of the 2022 draft out of Southern Utah. Jones played all 17 games during his rookie season and showed signs of promise. But injuries derailed his second and third seasons and delayed his offseason last year under a new coaching staff.

The Bears once again face uncertainty at the position after Trapilo injured his patellar tendon late in the NFC Wild Card game. Chicago doesn’t expect Trapilo to return late in the next season, leaving a wide-open hole at the position for the time being.

Jones will get another chance to prove what he can do fully healthy. Both Poles and Bears head coach Ben Johnson have commented in the past that they don’t truly know what Jones looks like at 100%. He’ll likely compete with Benedet, Kiran Amegadjie, and whoever else the Bears decide to add this offseason.

Chicago is still likely to look at other solutions for the spot, both in free agency and April’s draft. But Jones will get an opportunity to show what he truly does during the spring and the summer.

The NFL announced 33 compensatory picks Monday for the upcoming draft that is set to take place in April in Pittsburgh. The league didn’t award any to the Bears. The Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars were each rewarded picks in the third round.

Chicago brass believed they should’ve received two third-round compensatory draft picks after the Atlanta Falcons hired Cunningham to be their general manager in January as part of the NFL’s Rooney Rule. Teams usually receive two third-round compensatory picks, one each in the next two drafts, for developing a minority executive who received a promotion.

But the Bears were told that they wouldn’t receive the picks since the NFL views new Falcons president Matt Ryan as the franchise’s leader. Bears general manager Ryan Poles previously said the team reached out to the NFL about the matter.

“I’m really happy for him,” Poles said in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine a couple weeks ago. “How we do that and why we do that has nothing to do with compensation whatsoever. I want to make that very clear. There’s a set of rules that has been put in place that I think can be applied to this situation.”

The Falcons, through Cunningham, also believed the Bears should’ve received draft picks for Cunningham’s hiring when asked about it at the combine.

“It was always my interpretation that if a general manager gets hired, that team would receive two third-round picks,” Cunningham said at the time. “I’m a general manager. I was hired. I would think they would get two third-round picks. I don’t know the wording of it. That’s just my perspective.”

Poles was vocal with his concern about the process when he talked about it at the combine. He called it “a little strange” and remarked on how he watched the Kansas City Chiefs earn the picks when the Bears hired him away from Kansas City.

“It’s just a little odd,” Poles said. “But if at the end of the day, they think that’s what is best to help incentivize, then that’s what they want to do. But at the end of the day, like I said, that’s not the purpose of why we develop our staff. But if that is the rule they have in place, I think it’s very clear in the situation what should happen.”

The Bears will sign Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal, per multiple reports. The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported the signing.

Bryant was one of the top safeties available in free agency. He played in 15 games for the Seattle Seahawks last season, including all three playoff games that eventually included a Super Bowl championship. In those three playoff games, Bryant defended two passes and had 10 tackles.

Over the past two seasons, Bryant made a big impact for the Seahawks’ secondary as he transitioned over to safety. He had originally started his career at cornerback during his first two seasons in Seattle. But when head coach Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde took over in 2024, they moved Bryant over to safety.

He handled the move well, becoming a versatile playmaker that quarterbacks had to worry about in a talented Seahawks secondary.

Bryant had all seven of his career interceptions over those two seasons at safety. He played in 32 games and started 26. Bryant’s also forced seven fumbles during his four-year career and has 17 passes defended during that span.

The Seahawks originally drafted Bryant in the fourth round in 2022 out of Cincinnati. Bryant played in 17 games during his rookie season and made six starts. He dealt with a toe injury for most of his second season, only playing in nine games because of a toe injury.

The move came as the Bears had no safety who contributed last season under contract heading into next season. Starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, and backup Jonathan Owens are all set to be free agents at the start of the new NFL year Wednesday.

Chicago general manager Ryan Poles wasn’t likely to bring both Byard and Brisker back. After playing all 17 games last season, many expected Brisker to get a higher contract that the Bears wouldn’t be able to afford.

But there was some thought that the Bears could bring back Byard, who earned his third All-Pro honors last season at the age of 32. Both the Bears and Byard seemed open to a potential reunion this offseason if it made sense for both sides.

Bryant’s reported signing would make that reunion more difficult to facilitate. It’s likely the Bears will use one of their early picks in April’s draft to fill that other starter spot.

Chicago will reportedly sign Devin Bush to a three-year, $30 million contract. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the signing.

Bush is a seven-year veteran linebacker who played for three teams during his career. He spent the last two seasons with the Cleveland Browns and started all 17 games last season.

Bush put together one of the best seasons of his career with the Browns last year. He finished with a career-high three interceptions and returned two for a touchdown. That came along with a career-high 125 tackles, seven for a loss, as well as two sacks and four quarterback hits.

At 5-foot-11, 235 pounds, Bush was difficult to defend with his speed. Bush played on the outside and had a nose for the ball, something that Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will love to add to his defense.

The Pittsburgh Steelers originally drafted Bush at No. 10 overall out of Michigan in the 2019 draft. He started 48 games for the Steelers over four seasons, accumulating two sacks and two forced fumbles and four sacks during that time.

The Seattle Seahawks signed Bush to a one-year contract in 2023, where he mostly played special teams and was a backup linebacker.

Bush will replace former Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, whom the team released Thursday in an effort to save salary cap space. Chicago also re-signed D’Marco Jackson to a two-year deal earlier on Monday. The linebacking corps is led by T.J. Edwards, who signed a contract extension with the Bears last offseason.

The move takes care of another defensive starting spot. Chicago is set to reportedly sign safety Coby Bryant to a three-year contract. The team will also sign veteran defensive tackle Neville Gallimore.

The Bears will still need to make improvements in their defensive line and safety rooms. But with Monday’s signings, those moves will likely be smaller until the draft takes place in April.

They will reportedly sign veteran Neville Gallimore to a two-year, $12 million contract. The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was first to report the deal.

Gallimore spent one season with the Indianapolis Colts last year and appeared in all 17 games. The Colts used Gallimore mostly to stop the run with his 6-foot-2, 307-pound frame. He played in 40% of the Colts defense’s snaps and also played some special teams, playing 17% of the snaps.

Gallimore, who was born in Canada, finished last season with career-highs in tackles with 38 to go along with 3.5 sacks and six quarterback hits.

The Dallas Cowboys originally drafted Gallimore in the third round of the 2020 draft. He played in 14 games for the Cowboys during his rookie season before only playing in five games in 2021 because of an elbow injury. He appeared in 33 games over the next two seasons for Dallas.

Gallimore spent time with the Miami Dolphins during training camp in 2024 before he eventually signed with the Los Angeles Rams. He appeared in 14 games for the Rams, plus two more playoff games. Gallimore made a big impact during that Rams playoff run, finishing with 2.5 sacks over two games.

The move beefs up the interior of the Bears’ defensive line, which needs depth help. Gallimore will likely take the spot of backup defensive tackle Andrew Billings, who will be a free agent at the start of the new league year Wednesday.

Chicago already has starters Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter, while Shemar Turner is expected to return after missing most of his rookie season last year. Turner could spend time on the edge, though, once he returns from a torn ACL he suffered midway through the year.

But the Bears are likely to make some more defensive tackle moves as they try to fortify their run defense and pass rush from the middle. Bears general manager Ryan Poles could address that either in free agency over the next few weeks or in April’s draft.

Jackson stepped up when the Bears needed him to during his lone season with them last year. Chicago claimed Jackson off waivers in August after he had previously played under Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen when they were both with the Saints.

That signing was crucial, especially in November when the Bears played without all three of their starting linebackers. Jackson became the starting middle linebacker in Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and finished with 15 tackles. In Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns, Jackson recorded his first career sack and interception, which ultimately earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Jackson started in four games, plus one in the playoffs, to go along with 18 appearances in games in both the regular season and postseason. He finished the year with a career-high 43 tackles.

“He’s stepped up and performed well for us what he’s been called on,” Allen said in January before the team’s NFC divisional round game. “So I thought what he was able to do [in the NFC Wild Card], going from every rep in practice playing the SAM linebacker position, and then next thing you know, early on the game, he’s playing the MIKE and he’s got the green dot, communicating the defense. So I’ve got a lot of confidence in his ability to go in and play well.”

The move secures a dependable starter in Allen’s defense as the Bears face some uncertainty in the linebacker room. Chicago released Tremaine Edmunds on the final year of his contract last week to create more salary cap space. Noah Sewell suffered an Achilles injury in Week 17 against the San Francisco 49ers and could potentially need some time to get back into for during the year.

Chicago will likely look for more linebacker reinforcements in free agency or in April’s draft, which has a talented class.

The Bears will send a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange for Bradbury. The trade won’t officially be processed until the new league starts Wednesday. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was first to report the move.

Bradbury spent one season with the Patriots last year after they signed him to a two-year, $12 million contract. He played in every game last season in New England’s journey to the Super Bowl.

Bradbury did well as a pass-blocker for the Patriots last season. He allowed two sacks last season, along with 29 quarterback pressures. Bradbury ranked 29th according to Pro Football Focus with a 64.1 pass-blocking grade and 49th with a 55.9 run-blocking grade.

The Minnesota Vikings drafted Bradbury No. 18 overall in the 2019 draft out of North Carolina State. Bradbury played in 89 games over six seasons with the Vikings, starting every game.

Chicago was forced to trade for Bradbury after Drew Dalman suddenly retired this week.

Dalman decided to step away from the game at the age of 27 after one season with the Bears, where he earned his first Pro Bowl honor with Chicago. The team officially placed Dalman on the retired/reserved list.

The move likely means that Bears general manager Ryan Poles won’t use his salary cap space by signing one of the top free agent centers next week. There was some belief that Chicago could target Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, who was expected to become the highest-paid center in NFL history.

But Poles could shift his attention to looking for the center of the future in the draft in April. That would allow the Bears to draft a center and not force him to start the season if he wasn’t ready.

Iowa’s Logan Jones, Auburn’s Connor Lew, Florida’s Jake Slaughter and Kansas State’s Sam Hecht are some of the top-ranked center prospects in this year’s draft.

The Bears also have Luke Newman on the roster. They drafted him in the sixth round last year and he earned some snaps at center during training camp.

NFL free agency begins when the negotiating period opens at 11 a.m. Monday. Players will then be allowed to sign contracts with new teams beginning at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Poles enter free agency in a different position compared to years past. The Bears are coming off their first playoff appearance in five years under head coach Ben Johnson.

They’ll also have a good amount of salary cap space to use to build on last year’s success. That came thanks to their trade of wide receiver DJ Moore, their release of linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, and the sudden retirement of center Drew Dalman earlier this week.

Here’s a look at the Bears’ top three positions of need heading into free agency.

The cupboard is bare in the Bears’ safety room.

None of the four regular contributors from last season are under contract for next season. Starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker and backups Jonathan Owens and Elijah Hicks will all be free agents.

The Bears’ safety room was its most dependable room on defense. Not only did all four players compete in every regular season and playoff game last season, but they also helped the Bears lead the league in takeaways and interceptions.

Byard played a big role in that success. He led the NFL with seven interceptions and earned his third All-Pro honors. Brisker flashed his talent at times and proved that he could play a whole season after battling injuries during his first three seasons.

Given the market, it’s unlikely Poles can bring back both Byard and Brisker, given the team’s needs elsewhere. The Bears will likely sign one starter in free agency and draft another starter with one of their higher draft selections.

“We have to be strategic,” Poles said. “And as I’ve always said, it takes two to make that happen. So we need to be really smart with the guardrails we put up. And if it falls into that, then great. If not, we have to pivot to the next deal.”

Of the two, it’s more likely that Byard will come back. Both Byard and the Bears seemed open to a reunion if it made sense for both parties. A team might be willing to pay up for Brisker’s potential, pricing Chicago out of his market.

Top free agent targets: Byard, Bears; Bryan Cook, Kansas City Chiefs; Coby Bryant, Seattle Seahawks; Nick Cross, Indianapolis Colts; Kamren Curl, Los Angeles Rams

Poles revamped the offensive line last offseason and helped it become one of the best units in the NFL. He’ll need to do the same with the defensive line this time around.

Chicago’s defensive line struggled to make a difference most of the season, even though the defense led the NFL in takeaways and interceptions. The Bears ranked near the bottom of the league in both stopping the run and consistently pressuring quarterbacks despite blitzing at a good clip.

Defensive end Montez Sweat quietly put together his best season with the Bears. He finished with 10 sacks, the most he’s had with one team in a season, to go along with 13 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits.

But he didn’t get much support on the opposite side. Last year’s top free agent acquisition Dayo Odeyingbo didn’t make an impact in eight games before he tore his Achilles tendon. The Bears also saw more production from him when they moved him inside the line to help stop the run. Austin Booker made an impact at times with 4.5 sacks in 10 games, but Chicago will likely want an upgrade.

“It will be a point of emphasis when we come back in the spring time, just how do we increase our get-off to where we can put more pressure on the [quarterback],” Johnson said.

There will be plenty of options if the Bears want to address their needs in free agency. Trey Hendrickson is obviously the top prize that the Bears have been linked to at times. But other players might not cost as much, and they could still make an impact.

The major question is how much the Bears will want to spend on the group. They have other needs on the roster, including defensive tackle. Poles might try to find a defensive end through a trade – hello Maxx Crosby – or in the draft, where a deep class awaits.

Top free agent targets: Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals; Jaelan Phillips, Miami Dolphins; Odafe Oweh, Los Angeles Chargers; Boye Mafe, Seattle Seahawks; Khalil Mack, Chargers; Bradley Chubb, Dolphins

The Bears had questions surrounding who would be their left tackle to start training camp last season. They’ll have those same questions as they get started in free agency.

Chicago seemed to have a solution after shuffling different bodies at the position last season. Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet each earned starts before Ozzy Trapilo took over in Week 12. Trapilo showed promise at left tackle and seemed to be the Bears’ future there until he injured his patellar tendon in the NFC Wild Card game.

Now the future at left tackle is up in the air. Poles said Trapilo should return sometime late next season. How he would look in whatever games he can play coming back from a serious injury is up in the air. That’s why the Bears are looking at all options at left tackle.

“There’s free agency, some options in free agency, resigning your own, and then you have Theo’s development,” Poles said. “And we’ve yet to put a whole offseason together with Kiran [Amegadjie]. But he has shown promise at times. But a lot of different factors that can be difficult to figure out.”

Poles could look for a stopgap answer at the spot in free agency. A veteran left tackle would do well next to left guard Joe Thuney, just like Trapilo and Benedet did.

But Dalman’s retirement might change the Bears’ plan. Most would agree that the left tackle spot is the most important on the line. Yet the Bears saw how much an elite interior of the line can make a difference.

That might force the Bears to spend more on a center and work with what they have at left tackle, or draft one.

Top free agent targets: Rasheed Walker, Green Bay Packers; Jones, Bears; Jamaree Salyer, Chargers

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The move comes as the Bears continue to create salary cap space ahead of the start of free agency next week. Edmunds had one year left on his contract and will save Chicago $15 million in cap space. Chicago reportedly allowed Edmunds to seek a trade but ultimately released the linebacker.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles hinted that a move could come at the NFL Scouting Combine last week. When asked about Edmunds’ future with the team, Poles didn’t give a direct answer.

“There’s a couple guys we’ve got to make decisions on,” Poles said. “You know, if that’s trade, release, there’s ... few options that we can go down to create some space. But like I said before, this is a unique situation where we’ve gotten our roster in a position where we have a lot of talented players, a lot of guys getting paid well, and that puts some constraints on the cap. So we got to make some tough decisions. And, you know, like I said, when we win games, you create these relationships. There’s leadership guys or guys that were captains that mean a lot to our organization. But when you’re kind of put in a corner, that’s what league’s been and has been.”

Edmunds was one of the first big free agency Poles made as Bears general manager in 2023. Poles signed Edmunds to a four-year, $72 million contract to lead former head coach Matt Eberflus’ defense along with linebacker T.J. Edwards.

Edmunds finished near the top in some defensive categories during his time in Chicago. He finished second in tackles in 2023 (113) and third in 2024 (110).

He took a major step in 2025 when the Bears moved Edmunds from the middle linebacker to the weakside linebacker spot under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. The move allowed Edmunds to use his speed and length to his advantage like he had earlier in his career when he earned two Pro Bowl honors.

Edmunds showed that progress in the box score too. He had four interceptions in the first eight games of the season, which ranked amongst the best in the NFL at the time. But a groin injury forced Edmunds to miss four games later in the season. He returned for the final three games of the regular season and the playoffs but couldn’t play at the same level as he had before.

The move is the latest in the Bears’ effort to cut cap space. Chicago will reportedly trade wide receiver DJ Moore and a 2026 fifth-round to the the Buffalo Bills for a 2026 second-round pick.

The Bears will now need to look for more support in the linebacker room, potentially in free agency or in the draft. Chicago signed Edwards to a two-year contract extension in August that will keep him with the team through the 2027 season.

Noah Sewell is also a returning starter but he suffered an Achilles injury against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17.

Chicago will reportedly receive a 2026 second-round pick from the Bills in exchange for Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick. The trade won’t be processed until the start of the new league year on Wednesday.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles originally acquired Moore in 2023 as part of a trade with the Carolina Panthers that involved the No. 1 overall pick in that year’s draft. One of the draft picks the Bears acquired as part of the trade eventually became the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, which the Bears used to select quarterback Caleb Williams.

Moore gave the Bears a No. 1 wide receiver target they hadn’t had for a while when he joined the team. He finished with 1,364 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2023 and added another 966 receiving yards in 2024 with six touchdowns. That first season helped Moore earn a four-year, $110 million contract extension before the 2024 season.

But Moore started to get lost in the shuffle in 2025 as the team had more offensive targets. Wide receiver Rome Odunze became Williams’ No. 1 target, while rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland earned more of Williams’ attention as the season progressed.

Moore still stepped up when the Bears needed him, as they made their return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. He battled numerous injuries throughout the year but played in all 19 games during the regular season and playoffs. He finished second on the team with 682 receiving yards, the lowest in his career.

Moore also made some of the biggest plays in a memorable season for the Bears. He caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime to beat the Green Bay Packers in Week 16. Moore also caught two touchdowns in two playoffs games, the first of his career.

But Moore became a target for some fans after the team’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC divisional round. It appeared that Moore didn’t do enough to stop an interception in overtime. The Rams went on to kick a game-winning field goal to move on in the playoffs.

Bears players and coaches defended Moore after the loss, deflecting the blame for the play. Moore did not talk with reporters after the game or the day after, when players cleaned out their lockers at Halas Hall.

Chicago’s brass praised Moore for his contributions at the end of the season. But they also left open the possibility of a move.

“There’s one football, and there’s a lot more talented targets, and how that all works out, where they are,” Poles said last week at the NFL Combine. “I can’t tell you, like, where everybody is in different progressions. So I know at some points it was slow, some moments, like towards the end of the season was amazing.

“I think when you looked at the production across the board of all our guys, it came out to be pretty even in terms of targets and yards. So I thought he did a really good job.”

Moore will become Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s No. 1 target as they contend once again in the AFC. He previously worked with Bill’s head coach Joe Brady in Carolina in 2020 and 2021 when he was the offensive coordinator. Moore had two of his best statistical seasons with Brady as his play caller.

The move will open things up financially for the Bears a few days before NFL free agency is set to begin next week. Moore was set to have the highest salary cap hit on the Bears roster at $28.5 million. He became a target to move off the roster at the end of the season, given the younger, cheaper talent the Bears have in the receiving room.

According to Over The Cap, Moore will now have a $12 million dead cap hit, saving the Bears about $16.5 million. That is money the Bears are expected to use to boost other parts of their roster, especially the defensive line.

Moore and the Bears won’t have to wait long to see each other. Chicago is set to travel to Buffalo sometime during the 2026 season. The full NFL schedule will be announced sometime in May.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles will now have to look for a starting center after it was reported that Drew Dalman will retire at the age of 27. Dalman still had two years left on a three-year contract he signed with the team last offseason.

Poles will quickly need to decide how he wants to fortify an offensive line that became one of the NFL’s best last season with Dalman at center. Backup center Ryan Bates is set to be a free agent once the new league starts next week. Poles will also need to figure out how he wants to handle left tackle, which will be left open for most of next season after left tackle Ozzy Trapilo injured his patellar tendon in the playoffs in January.

Chicago will have options both in free agency and the draft. According to Over The Cap, Dalman’s retirement will have a $4 million dead money charge but free up Dalman’s $14 million salary cap hit. The Bears could earmark the money they expected to use on Dalman for another veteran center.

Poles might be more open to having a veteran on the market come in and work with quarterback Caleb Williams as opposed to a rookie. But selecting a rookie would save cap space and give the team a cheaper option over the next few years.

It’s also worth noting that the Bears could stick with what they have on the roster at the position. Luke Newman, whom the team drafted in the sixth round last year, took some snaps at center during training camp. If the Bears liked what they saw, they could stick with Newman and add a veteran backup.

Here are five players the Bears could target to replace Dalman in free agency and the draft.

Signing Biadasz would provide Poles with a dependable veteran option whom they could bring in before the new league year starts on Wednesday, March 11.

Biadasz has started 84 games over six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders. He earned his lone Pro Bowl honor with Dallas in 2022 before the Cowboys let him leave and sign a three-year contract with the Commanders in 2024. Washington released Biadasz on Thursday, and he will be 28 at the start of next season.

He allowed three sacks, which tied for 25th amongst centers who played at least 50% of the snaps according to Pro Football Focus, and 21 pressures in 2025. For comparison, Dalman allowed one sack and 24 pressures during his Pro Bowl season last year.

Poles could sign Biadasz as soon as he wants since the Commanders released him before the new league year started. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the Bears already visited with Biadasz.

The Bears went after the best center available in free agency when they signed Dalman last offseason. They could do it again this year by going after the best available center in free agency, Tyler Linderbaum.

He became one of the best centers in the league since the Baltimore Ravens drafted Linberbaum No. 25 overall out of Iowa in 2022. After an impressive rookie season, Linderbaum earned three straight Pro Bowl honors. But the Ravens chose not to place a franchise tag on him given how much he would earn because of it.

Linderbaum had another dominant season in 2025. He allowed two sacks, one quarterback hit and 26 pressures as the Ravens fought for a playoff berth late in the year. Linderbaum had the fourth-highest run-blocking grade according to PFF (83.7) last year and the 18th-highest pass-blocking grade (63.4).

Poles will need to decide whether they want to pay up for a talent like Linderbaum. At age 25, Linderbaum is in the prime of his career. The Kansas City Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey is the highest-paid center at $18 million per year, and Linderbaum could contend for that in the coming week.

Connor McGovern would provide the Bears with another veteran option who is still in the prime of his career but likely wouldn’t break the bank as much as Linderbaum.

McGovern showed flexibility during his time in Buffalo over the past three seasons. He started his career at guard for the Cowboys and Bills during the first four years of his career before moving to center in 2024. McGovern earned his lone Pro Bowl honor playing at center in 2024.

The statistics looked good for McGovern last season. He didn’t allow a sack in 16 games and allowed 14 quarterback pressures. McGovern had the third-best pass-blocking grade (73.4) and the 18th-best run-blocking grade (65.2) according to PFF.

Poles might be interested in McGovern not only because he’s more affordable but because of how versatile he is. That could be useful given the injuries that usually happen on the offensive line throughout the year.

If the Bears don’t feel comfortable with spending in free agency, given what’s available, they could turn their attention to the draft.

Auburn’s Connor Lew is considered one of the best centers available in the draft. Lew played in 30 games over three seasons with the Tigers. But he tore his ACL in October and played in seven games in 2025, which has raised some questions about where he will be taken.

Poles will need to decide whether he still believes in Lew’s talent, given his injury. Some analysts projected Lew to be taken late in the first round heading into the college football season. Now he might be taken in the third round or later, which would still allow him to focus on defense with his first few picks.

It’s hard to look for offensive line help in the draft and not look at an Iowa offensive lineman. If there’s anything the Hawkeyes do well, it’s develop offensive linemen and tight ends for the NFL.

Jones seems destined to be another one of those talented linemen. He entered Iowa as a defensive tackle and played in one game during his redshirt freshman season before he was converted into a center in 2022. Jones started at the spot since then and earned First Team All-Big Ten twice and was named a unanimous All-American last season.

At 6-foot-3, 299 pounds, Jones might be a bit undersized for the position. But his experience and technique could help him overcome that and help him slide into the starter spot.

Dalman had just spent his first season with the Bears last year after general manager Ryan Poles signed him to a three-year, $42 million deal. Dalman was part of a major offensive line revamp last offseason that included trades for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson.

Dalman made a major impact for the Bears and quarterback Caleb Williams in his lone season with the team. He helped Chicago have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, paving the way for one of the league’s best rushing attacks and protecting Williams from pressure.

It resulted in one of Dalman’s best seasons. He allowed just one sack and 31 quarterback pressures during the season, which led to Dalman’s first Pro Bowl honors.

Dalman had completed his fifth season in the NFL. He started his career with the Atlanta Falcons and spent four seasons with the team before signing with Chicago. Before then, Dalman spent four seasons at Stanford, where he eventually became a fourth-round pick in 2021.

The move will likely switch up the Bears’ priorities this offseason. Chicago seemed mostly set with its offensive line with Thuney, Jackson and right tackle Darnell Wright returning.

The Bears will have to decide what they want to do with the left tackle spot, which was left vacant after starter Ozzy Trapilo injured his patellar tendon against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card game. Poles had previously said that Trapilo will miss most of the upcoming season recovering from his injury.

Now the Bears will need to quickly decide whether they want to approach the center position in free agency, which will start next week, or in April’s draft. Dalman carried a $14 million salary cap hit, which will come off the books with his retirement.

Both Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have some tough decisions to make over the coming weeks as they try to build on a season where Chicago won the NFC North and reached the NFC divisional round. None will be bigger than how to fix the defensive line.

The Bears might be limited in how they find reinforcements, though. They’re still above the salary cap and won’t have much room to make a splash for the top free agents even if they make some moves to create cap relief.

The upcoming draft presents opportunities to make those needed changes. Chicago has all of its draft picks this year, including No. 25 overall. Both Poles and Johnson felt good about the defensive end and tackle classes this year and didn’t feel a need to prioritize one over the other.

“I’m not going to pigeonhole us into saying that we have to build this roster, Ryan is not going to do the same thing either,” Johnson said last week at the combine in Indianapolis. “We just want to find some really good football players that love to play the game, that love to compete, that want to win football games, and we’ll figure it out from there.”

Depending on how the draft plays out, there’s a good chance the Bears could use their top two picks on the defensive line.

Here are five defensive linemen who could be in play for the Bears in the first or second round of the draft.

While the focus of the offseason for many will be boosting the edge, the Bears should focus on improving the interior of their line.

Chicago’s tackles had minimal production in the run defense and the pass rush. The future of the position is also uncertain. Gervon Dexter is entering the final year of his rookie contract, while Grady Jarrett will be 33 next season.

Woods didn’t put up the best statistics in 2025 – he had 30 tackles and two sacks – but he flashed plenty of potential to be a menace up the middle with his 6-foot-2, 298-pound frame. He also showed that he can be a weapon on offense, rushing for a touchdown during a game last season.

“I think that I’m a game-disrupter,” Woods said at the combine. “I’m the type of guy that causes offensive coordinators to lose sleep at night planning for me. You don’t really know where I’m going to line up. You don’t know where I’m gonna be, but you got to respect it. You need to know where I am at all times. I think that, like I said, I’m one of the best at shocking and shedding, getting rid of a man. I think that’s what our game is, to disrupt the offense.”

The Bears ranked as one of the worst run defenses in the league, which created more pressure on its pass rush. Chicago allowed the sixth-most rushing yards per game last season (134.5)

McDonald (6-foot-2, 326) would help fix that number. He had a nose for the football and finished with 17 run stops for the Buckeyes last season. McDonald also had a career-high nine tackles for loss to go with three sacks.

“I believe I’m the best defensive tackle in this draft class,” McDonald said. “I really pride myself on being consistent, competitive, holding my teammates accountable. I put it all together, working on my diet and just staying consistent, really doing what I got to do.”

Chicago defensive end Montez Sweat put up a quietly good season in 2025. While he had 10.5 sacks – the most he’s had with one team in a season – he didn’t get much support from the opposite side.

Howell could provide that burst and support. He had a consistent motor for the Aggies with his 6-foot-2, 253-pound frame and had 11.5 sacks to go along with his 14 tackles for loss.

The one question surrounds Howell’s arms. He measured in at 30 1/4 inches. But Howell wasn’t too concerned about it given his production on the field.

“That’s just the cards that I was dealt,” Howell said. “And like I said, I’m going to do everything in my power to perfect my technique, to perfect my craft in whatever way possible to make sure my game translates.”

Stopping the run has been an emphasis when the Bears have talked about their pass rush. Even when some critiqued Sweat’s and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo’s performances last season, the Bears staff made sure to point out how well they did in the run defense.

That should make Young an attractive prospect for the Bears. Young did a good job stopping the run while building up his pass-rush numbers. He ended the year with 6.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss for the Tigers.

“My power, me stopping the run,” Young said of his abilities. “Like I said, having the privilege to rush the passer is second. But my power, my energy, my consistency. I’m very serious during practice, and it translates to the game. Preparation is very serious.”

Young also has the length that Poles and Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen like in their pass rushers. He checked in at 6-foot-6, 262 pounds. Depending on how the draft plays out, he could be an option in the first or second rounds.

Chicago missed a big, dominant force in the middle of its line last season. Andrew Billings provided that in the past. But he never truly regained his form last season, coming off an injury, and he will be a free agent this month.

Hunter could fill that role with his 6-foot-3, 318-pound frame. He found his way to the ball with 10.5 tackles for loss and clogged many running lanes. Hunter added 2.5 sacks last season and could be someone the Bears could land in the second round.

“When you stop the run, you give yourself a pass rush, especially when you got dogs on the side of you,” Hunter said. “So you’ll get more one-on-one blocks, so I think I can beat people one-on-one.”

Williams looked more at ease, especially in the 7-on-7 drill.

At the beginning of the season, Williams struggled with the different concepts Johnson and his staff implemented. Training camp practices were filled with miscommunication, missed throws, and taking too much time to get to the line of scrimmage.

But as the season progressed, Williams looked different at practice as he approached the line. To Johnson, Williams seemed confident in what he was about to do.

“A drill as simple as that, yet you see him look so much more comfortable going through some of those same plays,” Johnson said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. “You know, a lot of it was like riding a bike for the first time with some of these concepts. You just hadn’t seen it, and you get thrown a different coverage each and every time, and now you can accelerate your vision a little bit and that’s what he’s learning to do. That’s why I’m really confident in the direction he is going. I’m excited for him.”

Williams also showed that comfort in games as the season moved along and the Bears returned to the playoffs for the first time in five years. Things looked smoother on the field for him as Williams had a better command of where he needed to throw the ball.

That comfort was most important during the seven comeback wins the Bears had last season when they trailed with two minutes left in the game. Yes, Williams made incredible throws at times to pull off the improbable, but he also trusted Johnson’s calls and came through with clutch throws. He ended the season by becoming the Bears’ single-season passing leader with 3,942 yards.

But it was far from perfect.

Chicago’s offense stagnated in many games throughout the season, forcing the Bears to win in dramatic ways. Much of those mid-game offensive inconsistencies stemmed from dropped passes, sometimes due to Williams or his target, and errant throws.

Williams ended the season with a 58.1% completion rate, well below the 70% Johnson set for him during training camp. He told reporters at the end of the season that he planned on working on his accuracy and footwork during the offseason.

“Every single rep, every single moment that I have in the offseason that I’m working out or practicing and getting those practice kind of game reps is where my mindset is going to be,” Williams said. “Being able to be in the offense for a year, being able to be comfortable in the offense now, being able to go back and look at things I could have done better: Was I too far forward? Was I too far back? Was I not consistent enough with my footwork? Did I lean off and fall off the mound is what we call it. It’s just super small things to be able to be more consistent for the guys, for the team.”

Johnson echoed that sentiment at the combine. He believes Williams needs to do a better job of completing passes, whether that’s converting on the easy passes or giving his receivers a better ball to catch.

Williams completed 50% and 54.8% of his passes in his first two playoff games, respectively. He failed to complete more than 61% of his passes in a game since Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens and completed more than that in three games last season.

For Johnson, it’s finding the perfect balance.

Johnson credited Williams for being a coach’s best friend because he erases play calls that didn’t work with his ability to create something from nothing. But Johnson also believes his coaching staff does a good job calling plays that get the primary target open.

“So it’s the balance between the two, and I’m looking forward to mechanically he was learning some different things with his footwork,” Johnson said. “It actually looked more comfortable than I would have thought Year 1, and yet I really think a full offseason of really drawing that down home is going to help him become more accurate moving forward.”

The progress would follow a similar pattern for some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL who took major steps a couple of years into a new system. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow each took big steps and earned their first Pro Bowl honors in their third year.

Much of what the Bears are doing this offseason centers around the belief that Williams can be their franchise quarterback and can lead them to a Super Bowl title. Bears general manager Ryan Poles repeated that belief in Williams as the Bears battle a tight salary cap situation heading to the start of the new NFL year next week.

Poles has said they’re currently making cap decisions with the plan of giving Williams a lucrative contract over the next few years.

“I got a head coach that wants to sustain success and win for a long period of time,” Poles said. “I have a quarterback who continues to progress, and he wants to be one of the best to ever do it and win a lot of championships.”

The Bears don’t doubt Williams will put in the work to get there this offseason based on what he did this past season.

At the combine, Johnson told a story about how he pointed something out in a game to Williams that he didn’t expect to worry about for their next matchup. When it did end up happening, Williams threw the ball to the exact spot Johnson wanted.

“If this guy can take one little nugget that we talked about the week prior and we really weren’t emphasizing and yet be able to apply that in real time in a game, man, he’s really going to ascend quickly, and so I’m looking forward to it,” Johnson said. “I really do think this next offseason we’ll see significant strides.”