It’s time to make some deals.

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.

Jonathan Owens joins Colts

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.

Jaquan Brisker signs with Steelers

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.

Jordan McFadden rejoining Bears

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.

Bears boost left tackle by signing Jedrick Wills Jr.

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.

Kevin Byard moves on to New England

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.

Atlanta signs Chris Williams

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.

Trey Hendrickson goes to Baltimore

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.

Bears boost defensive end with Kentavius Street

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.

Chicago adds Cam Lewis to secondary

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.

Nahshon Wright to sign with Jets

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.

Chicago adds veteran receiver, returner Kalif Raymond

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.

Bears to bring back Braxton Jones

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.

Case Keenum re-signs with Bears

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.

Tremaine Edmunds joining New York Giants

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.

Bears set to sign linebacker Devin Bush to 3-year, $30 million contract

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.

Tyler Linderbaum set to sign monster deal with Raiders

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.

Bears bring in Super Bowl champion safety Coby Bryant

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.

Bears sign Neville Gallimore

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.

Jalean Phillips signs with Panthers

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.

Olamide Zaccheaus joins Falcons

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.

Alec Pierce re-signs with Colts for $116 million

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.

What have the Bears already done before free agency?

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.

Who will the Bears target in free agency?

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.

Who are the top free agents?

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.