Offseason In Review: Chicago Bears

Close-game magic played a central role in the Bears to a quick turnaround in 2025. Chicago, however, saw an immediate impact from a transformative coaching hire, as ex-Lions OC Ben Johnson was the driving force of change for a Chicago team that had not produced a winning record since 2018. Adam La Rose’s Bears Offseason Outlook covered the losses of OC Declan Doyle and assistant GM Ian Cunningham, and more notable departures took place in the weeks that followed.

The Bears finished 11-6 and completed a dramatic comeback to stun the Packers in the wild-card round. Subtractions from the starting lineup that entered that home playoff game played a big part in defining Chicago’s 2026 offseason. Two members of the team’s rebuilt offensive line are out of the picture entering 2026, and the team’s secondary features some new faces. The highest-profile subtraction came in Chicago’s receiving corps, as the offseason began with a trade that shook up the team’s pass-catching corps and equipped the team with a key draft asset.

Trades:

Ryan Poles‘ second offseason as Bears GM brought a blockbuster trade, with Moore being acquired from the Panthers in a deal that ended up including the 2024 No. 1 overall pick. Chicago traded down from No. 1 in 2023 and collected a monster haul from Carolina. As the Panthers selected Bryce Young in 2023, the Bears look to have obtained the better QB prize in Caleb Williams the following year.

Moore became an integral part of the Bears’ 2023 trade package — with the Panthers keeping Brian Burns and Derrick Brown off the table — as the team later paired him with Williams’ rookie contract. While Moore impressed with Justin Fields at the controls in 2023, he diminishing returns occurred in the two additional years of Moore’s Windy City stay.

Although Moore did not miss a game in three Bears seasons, he went 1-for-3 in 1,000-yard years. Some of this can be blamed on a disjointed 2024 offense, but with Johnson at the controls last season, Moore slogged through his worst season as a pro.

The arrival of Colston Loveland and growth of Rome Odunze ate into Moore’s target share, and the high-priced wideout produced just 682 receiving yards. Eighty-five targets marked the lowest number since the 2018 first-rounder’s rookie year. Moore’s campaign ended after scrutinized effort on a play that led to a back-breaking Rams interception in the Bears’ overtime divisional-round loss.

Moore’s disappointing season under Johnson did not dent his trade value too much. The Bears collected a second-rounder, albeit while including a fifth, for the now-29-year-old weapon. A Bills team desperate for a post-Stefon Diggs receiver upgrade — after an aggressive effort to land Jaylen Waddle at the trade deadline failed — is betting on Moore, and as our Connor Byrne noted in his Bills Offseason in Review, Buffalo guaranteed $15.5MM of Moore’s $23.3MM 2028 base salary upon completing the trade. Moore had no 2028 money locked in on his four-year, $110MM deal prior to that move. It is clear the Bills believe plenty is left in the ex-Panther WR1’s tank, expecting Josh Allen (and a reunion with ex-Carolina OC Joe Brady) to provide a reignition.

More will be expected from second-year slot cog Luther Burden, with Johnson indicating this offseason he would buy stock in the 2025 second-rounder ahead of Year 2. Burden, though, is currently sidelined with a groin injury that will keep him out for weeks. Odunze is also coming off injury, a foot ailment. Chicago did use a third-round pick at the position the wake of Moore’s exit (more on that below), but Burden figures to be the key beneficiary of the four-time 1,000-yard target’s exit.

The Bears were among the many teams to look into the Tyler Linderbaum derby, but the Raiders winning that at an astonishing $27MM per year blew competition out of the water. Chicago, of course, did not expect to have a center need entering the offseason but ended up with one after Drew Dalman retired at 27.

Bradbury is now a clear stopgap solution, as second-rounder Logan Jones‘ timeline could well resemble 2025 second-rounder Ozzy Trapilo‘s last year. Trapilo became a full-time starter in Week 12 last season. As Jones readies, Bradbury has another shot as a starter in the NFC North.

The former Vikings first-round pick spent six years as Minnesota’s center starter, and the Patriots used him as such after the Vikes made him a 2025 cap casualty. Bradbury, 31, started every game for the AFC champions last year but was certainly deemed expendable after the season.

As the Pats move Jared Wilson to center — his primary college position — Bradbury will take a 105-start resume to Chicago. The Bears were also linked to recent Commanders cap cut Tyler Biadasz, but his reported visit did not end up happening (Biadasz signed a three-year, $30MM Chargers deal). Enter Bradbury, whom Pro Football Focus has graded as a top-20 center once in his seven-year career. PFF ranked him 27th last season, one that featured some O-line problems in Foxborough.

Extensions and restructures:

The Bears will hope to roll out a Trapilo-Wright tackle duo for many years. While they wait on Trapilo’s return from a patellar tendon tear, Wright broke a right tackle record — regardless of where Penei Sewell plays this season — with his second contract. The Bears moved down one spot in the 2023 draft for Wright, allowing the Eagles to climb up to No. 9 for polarizing prospect Jalen Carter. Three years later, both players landed position-record extensions.

Chicago had right tackle stability from 2016 until midway through the 2020 season, in the form of Bobby Massie, but the former free agency addition was more middling fix than cornerstone option. The Bears’ issues drafting quarterbacks have brought considerably more attention, but they have struggled with first-round tackle picks for ages.

Gabe Carimi (2011), Chris Williams (2008), Marc Colombo (2002) and Stan Thomas (1991) did not pan out in Chicago (though, Colombo later did in Dallas). Free agents and later-round picks had filled the Bears’ tackle roles for quite a while pre-Wright, but assuming Trapilo comes back healthy, Poles may have landed two foundational pieces. He has definitively found one in Wright.

Wright’s fifth-year option ($19.07MM) gave the Bears plenty of time on this deal, but the 2023 draft class has brought less hesitation on extensions than any in the fifth-year option era. Eight first-rounders from that class have already signed extensions, setting an option-era record for post-Year 3 re-ups. Wright soaring to the All-Pro level last season made Chicago’s decision fairly easy, and the team — based on its tackle history in the salary cap era — will have an odd-looking payroll component moving forward.

Wright’s second-team All-Pro nod — and pass block win rate rankings of ninth (2024) and fourth (2025) — preceded a $29MM-AAV deal. Sewell is sliding to left tackle in Detroit, meaning Wright is now the NFL’s highest-paid RT by a cool $4MM per year. Sewell smashed the RT ceiling in 2024, and his $28MM-per-year extension covered 11% of the cap at the time. Wright’s cap percentage checks in at 9.6, as the NFL’s salary ceiling has expanded by nearly $50MM since 2024.

The Bears exercising Wright’s option and having a 2028 franchise tag at their disposal did not lead to a contentious negotiation. Wright even secured a rolling guarantee structure, which will see his 2028 and 2029 base salaries ($22.5MM each year) lock in a year early. Wright’s 2026 and ’27 compensation is fully guaranteed.

Although the rolling guarantee structure is player-friendly, Wright agreeing to a four-year deal should benefit the Bears. Because of the option season in 2027, Wright is under Bears control through 2031 — his age-30 season.

Free agency additions:

• Coby Bryant, S. Three years, $40MM ($25.75MM guaranteed)
• Devin Bush, LB. Three years, $30MM ($21MM guaranteed)
• Neville Gallimore, DT. Two years, $10MM ($5MM guaranteed)
• Kalif Raymond, WR. One year, $3.5MM ($3MM guaranteed)
• Cam Lewis, DB. Two years, $6MM ($2.75MM guaranteed)
• Kentavius Street, DL. One year, $1.48MM ($300K guaranteed)
• James Lynch, DT. One year, $1.32MM ($100K guaranteed)
• Xavier Woods, S. One year, $1.35MM ($50K guaranteed)
• Scotty Miller, WR. One year, $1.3MM
• Salvon Ahmed, RB. One year, $1.22MM
• Jon Rhattigan, LB. One year, $1.22MM
• Jack Sanborn, LB. One year, $1.22MM
• Jedrick Wills, LT. One year, $1.22MM
• Anthony Johnson Jr., S. One year, $1.15MM
• Beanie Bishop, CB. One year, $1.01MM

The Bears’ safety changeover happened quickly, with starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker departing in free agency. As the draft became an area of focus for the team, it began reassembling its defensive back line hours into the legal tampering period. Bryant committed early in free agency, as the Seahawks’ three DB FAs split up — with Josh Jobe re-signing and Riq Woolen joining the Eagles. A converted cornerback, Bryant excelled at safety under Mike Macdonald. Helping the Seahawks finish first in scoring defense en route to a Super Bowl LX championship, Bryant cashed in.

The former fourth-round pick’s $25.75MM guaranteed at signing ranks ninth among safeties. The 27-year-old defender fared well as a deep safety in Macdonald’s defense. Ranking in PFF’s top 30 at the position in 2024 and ’25, Bryant seven passes in that span and forced seven fumbles over the course of his four-year rookie contract.

Bryant, however, is in danger of missing his first Bears season due to a knee injury sustained during training camp. A hyperextended knee, bone bruise and small fracture sustained last week preceded a surgery, one that has Bryant carrying a four- to six-month return timetable.

This has been a rough period for Bears free agents. Dalman retired, and Dayo Odeyingbo — the team’s highest-paid 2025 UFA — is coming off an Achilles tear. Woods, 31, comes in as a Bryant emergency replacement after the Titans cut him in February. The former Cowboys, Vikings, Panthers and Titans safety has made 121 career starts.

Bush is coming off a resurgence in Cleveland. The former No. 10 overall pick had bounced around a bit, failing to justify his draft slot over the first six years of his career. The 2019 draftee rebounded with a strong Browns contract year, finishing with 125 tackles (seven for loss) and three interceptions. Bush racked up an NFL-most 164 return yards, scoring twice, and finished his second Browns season with eight passes defensed.

Bush, 28, had played on three straight one-year deals — with the Seahawks and Browns — with this contract representing his first significant NFL payday since his $18.87MM rookie deal. The Bears fully guaranteed Bush’s first- and second-year salaries, to go with an $11MM signing bonus. Nothing is guaranteed for 2028.

Part of a 2020 first-round tackle contingent that included All-Pros Tristan Wirfs and Andrew Thomas, Wills was out of football last season. A knee injury sustained late in the 2023 season sidetracked the Browns’ four-year left tackle starter, and he was not in good form upon return in 2024. Cleveland benched Wills that year — after exercising his fifth-year option — and did not re-sign him in 2025. Only 12 of Wills’ 57 career starts came from 2023-24. He was part of a strong Browns O-line in the three years prior, working under Bill Callahan.

The Bears took a no-risk flier on the 27-year-old blocker, as Wills received no guarantees ahead of a three-man stopgap LT competition with Braxton Jones and 2024 third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie. This is a far more sensible bet on a downward-trending Alabama tackle product than when Poles picked up Alex Leatherwood‘s full guarantee upon claiming him via waivers in 2022.

A Chicago-area native, Sanborn is back after an injury-plagued Cowboys season. The former Bears UDFA — a 21-start player from 2022-24 — did not receive an RFA tender by his initial team and left for Dallas in 2025. The Cowboys used Sanborn as a starter over their first five games but did not activate him from IR after an October groin injury. Sanborn, 26, will take a vet-minimum rebound opportunity.

Re-signings:

• D’Marco Jackson, LB. Two years, $7.5MM ($3.63MM guaranteed)
• Braxton Jones, LT. One year, $5MM ($3MM guaranteed)
• Case Keenum, QB. Two years, $5.5MM ($2.9MM guaranteed)
• Daniel Hardy, DE. Two years, $4.97MM ($2.45MM guaranteed)
• Elijah Hicks, S. One year, $2.6MM ($1.69MM guaranteed)
• Jaylon Jones, CB. One year, $1.32MM ($708K guaranteed)
• Jordan McFadden, G. One year, $1.3MM ($25K guaranteed)

Jones became the starting left tackle as a rookie fifth-rounder out of Division I-FCS Southern Utah, doing so for a 3-14 team launching a rebuild. Jones maintained his grip on the job into the 2025 season before being replaced by former UDFA Theo Benedet. Trapilo ended up solidifying his claim to the job, and Jones did not return to action after a midseason knee injury moved him to IR. After Trapilo’s bad break, Jones received a second chance.

PFF was bullish on Jones during the Matt Eberflus era, ranking him as a top-25 tackle in 2022 and ’24 while slotting him 34th in 2023. Jones was coming off ankle surgery in 2025, not being cleared until late July of last year. He struggled in a contract year, being benched four games into the season. A trade rumor emerged soon after, but Jones’ injury scuttled that. The 27-year-old LT, however, was healthy entering this offseason and came into camp as the favorite to start. If Jones holds on, this will be his fifth Week 1 start.

While the prospect of Trapilo missing all of his second season surfaced earlier this year, SI.com’s Albert Breer injected some positivity into the Bears’ tackle situation by noting a sooner-than-expected return is in play. This comes after spring rumblings Trapilo could miss the entire season; Poles had said the LT missing substantial 2026 time is likely. Jones may only have a handful of games to hold down the job. Assuming he fends off Wills and Amegadjie, this will be a pivotal stretch ahead of a likely 2027 free agency bid.

A winter rumor pointed to the Bears having designs on Keenum transitioning from third-string QB to an assistant coach, but nothing came of that. Keenum re-signed and is positioned to reprise his role as grizzled veteran behind Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent.

Keenum (66 career starts) could be transitioning into a coaching role via this player contract, as Bagent is Chicago’s clear-cut backup. Davis Webb used a third-string QB season (2022) as a springboard into a job as a QBs coach at 29. Keenum would be getting a much later start, and the $2.9MM guarantee shows a team desire for that future to be put on hold for at least one more year.

Notable losses:

• Ryan Bates, OL
• Andrew Billings, DT
• Jaquan Brisker, S
• Kevin Byard, S
• Drew Dalman, C (retired)
• Scott Daly, LS
• Devin Duvernay, WR
• Tremaine Edmunds, LB (released)
• Travis Homer, RB
• C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S
• Nick McCloud, CB
• Amen Ogbongbemiga, LB
• Jonathan Owens, S
• Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB
• Dominique Robinson, DE
• Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, DE
• Durham Smythe, TE
• Ricky Stromberg, C
• Ty Summers, LB
• Nahshon Wright, CB
• Olamide Zaccheaus, WR
• Chris Williams, DT

Among the top free agents entering the 2025 offseason, Dalman scored a three-year deal worth $42MM. The Bears guaranteed the ex-Falcons center $26.5MM at signing; at the time, that was second-most at the position. Dalman opted against playing his age-27 season, however, despite that bringing a fully guaranteed salary. That dealt a blow to a Bears team that had lost its top left tackle weeks earlier.

Chicago’s O-line overhaul last year brought tremendous success. The Bears ranked first in pass block win rate and fifth in run block win rate last season, as the imported Dalman-Joe Thuney–Jonah Jackson interior trio did plenty for Williams and the success of running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. With Wright joining Thuney on the All-Pro level, the Bears had one of the NFL’s strongest O-line foundations entering the wild-card round. Trapilo’s injury and Dalman’s retirement destabilized the front.

Dalman ranked eighth among all interior O-linemen in pass block win rate last season; PFF graded him as the league’s seventh-best center. PFR’s No. 14-ranked free agent last year, Dalman moved from fourth-round pick out of Stanford to three-year Falcons starter. He missed eight games due to an ankle injury, but the Falcons activated him from IR later that season. Dalman then played all 19 Bears games in 2025, making his first Pro Bowl. This is among the more surprising retirements in recent NFL history, and the Bears proceeded as though they do not expect Dalman to reconsider.

The Bears are carrying only $4MM in dead money from the retirement, due to signing bonus proration; Dalman was to earn an $11MM base salary this season. The Bears are off the hook for that, and they have reinvested via the Bradbury-Jones setup — which is considerably cheaper than the team’s previous C plan. Will it be as effective?

It took a $41.8MM guarantee at signing for the Bears to land Edmunds three years ago. At the time, the former Bills first-rounder’s $18MM AAV ranked third among off-ball linebackers. The ILB market has not moved much since, and the Bears used the contract to create considerable cap space. After shopping the deal around, Chicago found no takers. That is rather interesting considering what Edmunds — who notched three 110-tackle seasons and intercepted nine total passes with the Bears — fetched as a street free agent.

The Giants gave the ninth-year veteran (who is still only 28) a three-year, $36MM deal with $23.7MM guaranteed at signing. By releasing Edmunds, the Bears saved $15MM in cap space. The Edmunds, Dalman and Moore departures created nearly $45MM in cap room.

Byard became a savvy Bears pickup in 2024, after the Eagles released him. The Pro Bowl safety notched a second interception title — eight years after his first such crown — by picking off seven passes last season. Byard played out a two-year, $15MM deal. Excelling as a centerfield option (792 free safety snaps last season) in Chicago, Byard drew interest from the Bears in free agency. But the soon-to-be 33-year-old veteran opted to reunite with ex-Titans boss Mike Vrabel (on a one-year, $7MM deal) in New England.

Despite working as a four-year starter, Brisker did not fare well in free agency. The box defender was part of a crowded safety market, and with this being a mid-tier position, some FAs were bound to be caught in the wash. A Pittsburgh native who starred at Penn State, Brisker signed a one-year, $5.5MM Steelers deal. The former second-round pick, who missed much of the 2024 season with a concussion, will aim to boost his market ahead of the 2027 free agency period.

Turnovers represented a lead component in the Bears’ 2025 turnaround, inviting some sustainability-based skepticism ahead of their follow-up effort. Byard, Wright and Edmunds combined for 16 of the Bears’ league-leading 28 INTs. Waived by the Vikings in 2025, Wright rebounded with the Bears by intercepting five passes, forcing two fumbles and recovering three.

Wright filled in for the injured Jaylon Johnson as a starter but held onto the job after the high-priced regular’s return, seeing Tyrique Stevenson shuttled to backup duty. Teams still were hesitant to pay the former Cowboys third-rounder, who took a one-year deal worth $3.5MM. After Wright’s turnover-happy season, he joined a Jets team that infamously finished with zero picks last season.

Stevenson, whose rookie-deal run is probably headlined by the Washington Hail Mary sequence, has a pivotal contract year coming. He may well enter the season as Johnson’s boundary sidekick, but fourth-round rookie Malik Muhammad will provide a challenge. However, Kyler Gordon‘s struggles returning from a calf injury have left Muhammad getting first-string slot work in the meantime. Like Brisker last season, Stevenson (40 career starts) may be auditioning for a free agency bid.

Draft:

• Round 1, No. 25: Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon) (signed)
• Round 2, No. 57: Logan Jones (C, Iowa) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 69 (from Giants via Texans, Bills and Titans): Sam Roush (TE, Stanford) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 89: Zavion Thomas (WR, LSU) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 124 (from Jaguars via Panthers): Malik Muhammad (CB, Texas) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 166 (from 49ers via Eagles and Panthers): Keyshaun Elliott (LB, Arizona State) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 213 (from Seahawks via Jaguars, Lions and Bills): Jordan Van Den Berg (DT, Georgia Tech) (signed)

A Purdue transfer, Thieneman returns to the Midwest after a year at Oregon. Bears-safety connections became commonplace before the draft, and Chicago added a two-time AP All-American (third team in 2023, second team in 2025) at No. 25. Thieneman marks the first safety the Bears have taken in Round 1 since Mark Carrier went sixth overall in 1990.

The Ducks deployed Thieneman in the box, in the slot and as a pure safety last season. He showed high-level instincts and quality speed in coverage in helping the Ducks to the CFP semifinals, and the Bears will have the opportunity to determine how they want to use the former Big Ten chess piece. He notched six INTs as a freshman with the Boilermakers, combining for 210 tackles in two Purdue seasons before adding 96 at Oregon last season.

The Bears did not expect Thieneman to be available at No. 25; the team was believed to be high on Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood. But the board broke Chicago’s way, and a plug-and-play safety’s debut nears.

Thieneman ranked 16th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board. With injuries running rampant in the Bears’ secondary, the team will count on the rookie to be a quick study. Dennis Allen oversaw a strong Byard season after developing Marcus Williams in New Orleans. It will be interesting to see how the veteran DC deploys Thieneman, especially considering Gordon — still the NFL’s highest-paid pure slot CB — remains on the active/PUP list. Bryant’s surgery, however, could place a premium on Thieneman safety snaps. He has been a first-stringer there throughout camp.

Between the Bradbury trade and the draft, a rumor circulated hinting at the Bears being prepared to add another center. That proved accurate, as Chicago made Jones this draft’s first center selected.

From Tristan Wirfs to Tyler Linderbaum to Alaric Jackson to Brandon Scherff to ex-Bears second-rounder James Daniels, Iowa has produced quality O-line talent in recent drafts. Jones succeeded Linderbaum in 2022, becoming a four-year Hawkeyes starter. He could not have accomplished much more in that role, and Week 1 of the 2027 season may be a conservative estimate regarding his first-string debut.

The Rimington Award winner last season, Jones gave up only one sack between his junior and senior campaigns. The 299-pound player will be on the lighter end among modern centers if/once he enters the Bears’ starting lineup, and both Jeremiah and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler viewed the pick as a reach (Jones ranked 75th on Jeremiah’s big board and 95th on Brugler’s; he will also turn 25 in October).

Jones will pair well with the veteran contracts given to Thuney and Jackson. A line with Dalman, both pricey guards and Wright’s now-record-setting deal would have been difficult to retain once Caleb Williams signs for $60MM-plus annually.

Trading down from No. 60 via the Titans, the Bears participated in a Day 2 run on tight ends. Roush racked up 545 receiving yards last season, playing primarily as an in-line tight end in Frank Reich‘s Stanford offense. A superior blocking prospect compared to Loveland, Roush may well be the Bears’ top Loveland complement in the near future.

Ryan Pace-era draftee Cole Kmet came up as a possible cap casualty earlier this offseason, but the Bears restructured his contract. They would eat around $10MM in dead money in a 2026 trade. But with no guarantees for 2027 — the final season of Kmet’s extension — in place, it is not hard to see a Loveland-Roush duo forming and Kmet jettisoned.

Blazing to a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the Combine — third among all prospects this year — Thomas has lined up at a few spots during camp. The Mississippi State transfer moonlighted as a running back option, taking 40 carries from 2023-25, and could be a gadget toy for Ben Johnson. Ex-Lions returner/auxiliary wideout Kalif Raymond (now 32) reunited with Johnson, but the 11th-year special-teamer is hardly a strong impediment to Thomas — should he be ready to contribute early.

Other:

With both Odeyingbo and 2025 second-round pick Shemar Turner coming off major injuries, the Bears were in the Crosby derby. However, they were not the runners-up ahead of the Raiders-Ravens agreement. That was the Cowboys, with the Jaguars also making a push at the time. Poles’ predecessor, Ryan Pace, swung a deal with the Raiders for Khalil Mack. That involved two first-round picks and other assets going to Oakland, which traded a 27-year-old Mack. Eight years later, the Bears passed on an aggressive push for Mack’s Raiders replacement, who is entering an age-29 season.

Poles confirmed he engaged in dialogue with the Raiders on Crosby, but the All-Pro has recommitted to the Raiders — a team that did not want to trade its top player in the first place. A trade before this year’s deadline would certainly not be shocking, as Crosby wanted a Myles Garrett-like move to a contender. For now, though, this door appears closed. The Bears are going with holdovers opposite Montez Sweat.

Odeyingbo sustained an Achilles tear in early November but returned in time for training camp. The Bears gave the ex-Colts second-rounder a three-year, $48MM deal last March. His $29.5MM guarantee at signing covers his full 2026 compensation, pointing to Chicago giving the soon-to-be 27-year-old EDGE another shot. Odeyingbo, who contributed as an inside rusher in Indianapolis as well, only tallied one sack and four QB hits in eight games last season. He will need to bounce back to avoid becoming a 2027 cap casualty.

The Bears, who moved Turner from D-tackle to D-end prior to his midseason ACL tear, have not made a notable EDGE addition. They are rolling with their Odeyingbo, Turner and 2024 fifth-rounder Austin Booker, who is also coming off an injury-marred season. Booker spent seven weeks on IR to start last season. He showed some promise upon return, however, tallying 4.5 sacks and 12 QB hits in 10 games (nine starts).

Odeyingbo would be an overpriced backup should he fail to win the position battle. On the other hand, Booker’s growth brings some optimism to a position group that has drawn plenty of questions. The Bears finished with 35 sacks last season. A defense battling injuries in the secondary will need much better health from its cadre of Sweat wingmen this year. Otherwise, this is an area to monitor regarding a trade.

Cunningham spent four years as Poles’ right-hand man, and after the team’s 11-6 2025 season, he landed a top gig. However, the Falcons’ front office structure denied the Bears the customary two third-round picks in exchange for losing a minority exec to a GM gig.

Because Atlanta hired Matt Ryan to head up its front office — a position that outranks Cunningham, who also interviewed for Ryan’s job prior to the team’s GM search — the NFL did not deem Cunningham a top-ranking exec. Thus, no picks came Chicago’s way. The Bears obviously disagreed with the NFL’s stance here, and it is a precedent teams will be cognizant of in future offseasons.

Top 10 cap charges for 2026:

1. Montez Sweat, DE: $25.09MM
2. Jaylon Johnson, CB: $24.5MM
3. Joe Thuney, G: $21.5MM
4. Dayo Odeyingbo, DE: $20.5MM
5. Grady Jarrett, DT: $18.93MM
6. Kyler Gordon, CB: $12.91MM
7. Jonah Jackson, G: $12.75MM
8. T.J. Edwards, LB: $10.83MM
9. Caleb Williams, QB: $10.77MM
10. D’Andre Swift, RB: $8.8MM

Like some of the other teams who nabbed QBs in the 2024 first round, 2026 represents a sweet spot of sorts for Williams. That will be a long-awaited challenge for the Bears, who saw first-rounders Fields, Mitch Trubisky, Rex Grossman and Cade McNown stumble. The Bears are preparing for Williams negotiations already, highlighting the window the team currently has.

The Dalman retirement, Trapilo timetable and the health issues that have cropped up in the secondary may sting, but the NFC North features similar questions elsewhere. The Lions’ secondary is now riddled with personnel issues, while the Packers are not slated to have Micah Parsons back until at least mid-October. The Vikings, meanwhile, will bet on an inconsistent Kyler Murray. The Bears’ troubles do not seem too daunting by comparison, though the NFC North will assuredly house a few contenders. Chicago making the leap last year turned this division into one of the most competitive foursomes in recent NFL history.

A Rams team that KO’d the Bears in Chicago now has Garrett and Trent McDuffie (and appears set to bring back Aaron Donald). With the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks still carrying a strong roster, the NFC does not look like it will be any easier to conquer this season. After being a nonfactor for many years, though, the Bears are firmly back in the conversation. The franchise has not booked back-to-back playoff berths since the 2005 and ’06 seasons. Will Chicago sustain its 2025 bump this year?