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[Chicago Bears]

Bears superlatives for 2025 offseason

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

WCG’s lead draft analyst analyzes his “superlatives” for the Bears’ choices in the 2025 offseason.

Superlatives are a fun way to shake up your typical lists or rankings and present them in a new format. Fun fact: I was voted the Best Male Dancer in the Benet Academy graduating class in 2019, but I’m sure nobody cares about that, because I’m ugly and stupid.

On Sunday, I created some superlatives of my own and applied them to specific moves the Chicago Bears have made in the 2025 NFL offseason.

My superlatives for the #Bears offseason:

• Best move: Ben Johnson
• Worst move: Dayo Odeyingbo
• Slept-on move: Drew Dalman
• Surprising move: Luther Burden III
• Cautiously optimistic: Jonah Jackson
• Favorite Day 3 pick: Zah Frazier

— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) July 7, 2025​

I tweeted this before a BABYMETAL concert, though I’m sure nobody cares about that fact, either.

The Bears were incredibly active between free agency, the 2025 NFL Draft, and the hiring of a new head coach and corresponding coordinators. A lot changed between the start of January and now, meaning there’s a lot of change to consider when making these superlatives.

Here are my explanations behind each of my choices.

Best move: Ben Johnson​

I considered the trade for Joe Thuney here, seeing as though the Bears got a first-team All-Pro offensive guard for just a fourth-round pick. However, I can’t help but come back to the slam-dunk head coaching hire they made.

I’ve been on record saying I think Ben Johnson was the best first-year head coaching candidate since Kyle Shanahan in 2017. That stayed firm before the Bears hired him, and I’ll remain on that bandwagon to this day. He dominated as the Lions’ offensive coordinator, resurrecting Jared Goff’s career and leading the offense to incredible heights.

The Lions were top-five in the league in yards per game, points per game, and PFSN’s Offense+ metric all three seasons that Johnson was their offensive play caller. For a Bears team who know firsthand the difference coaching can make in a game, bringing him in should be a breath of fresh air. I truly believe Ryan Poles hit a home run here.

Worst move: Dayo Odeyingbo​

There was a clear vision with the Bears signing Dayo Odeyingbo: betting on a traitsy player and anticipating that his best football is ahead of him. I just don’t think I agree with that approach.

There’s a lot to like with Odeyingbo, as he’s a massive edge rusher with elite length and good size-adjusted athleticism. He’s produced before, as he had eight sacks in 2023, and he’s still only 25 years old.

That said, I don’t think he’s enough of a finished product to warrant the $16 million a year they’re paying him. His average salary is 20th among all edge rushers. However, among edge rushers last year, he was 55th in PFF pass-rushing grade (150 snaps or more), 93rd in sacks and 44th in pressures.

The Bears are paying $12 million more a year to a player who wasn’t much better last year than DeMarcus Walker, whom they cut this offseason. Odeyingbo is younger and has more upside. But if he didn’t put it all together in his four years of playing NFL football in Indianapolis, I’m not sold he suddenly lives up to his price tag in Year 5.

Slept-on move: Drew Dalman​

“But Jacob, how can Drew Dalman be a slept on move”, say the fat losers everywhere. Nay, Dalman has widely been heralded as one of the best centers in the league, and it was a big deal when the Bears signed him.

However, I’d say the surprise of other moves dimmed the spotlight that Dalman’s signing in Chicago deserved. Amidst the Colston Loveland selection, the trade for Thuney, signing Grady Jarrett out of the blue, plus one more move I’ll get to soon, there was a lot that happened in favor of the Bears this offseason.

Dalman was almost everybody’s dream signing in free agency, and getting him almost felt like a foregone conclusion, given the Bears’ need at center and their large amount of cap space to work with. He’s been a top-five center each of the last two seasons.

I’m excited to see what Dalman can provide for the Bears’ offensive line. After years of instability and poor play at center, he should be able to give them the anchor they’ve been looking for.

Surprising move: Luther Burden III​

As a Mizzou alumnus, the Bears’ selection of Luther Burden III was a pick I was absolutely stoked about. He’s my favorite college football player of all time, considering my fandom of the team he played for. It just wasn’t a pick I was expecting.

Heading into Round 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Bears still had a few more needs left to fill. There are a few talented running backs and offensive and defensive linemen still available. After taking Loveland in Round 1, I didn’t think they’d take another pass-catching weapon with their next pick.

As TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins both came off the board, I had no idea where the Bears would go with the No. 39 pick. When I heard they selected Burden, I was jumping for joy.

Not only did I not expect the Bears would take a wide receiver that early, but I also didn’t think Burden would fall that far. I had him as my No. 18 overall prospect on my board, and I figured one of the receiver-needy teams like the Browns, Texans or Patriots would have selected him earlier.

Time will tell if that pick (and my reaction) actually ages well. However, I think Burden has WR1 potential if he can further develop his route tree. His explosiveness, agility, YAC creativity, ball skills and contact balance are all very impressive.

Cautiously optimistic: Jonah Jackson​

The Bears made the call before the start of free agency to trade for Jonah Jackson, reuniting him with his former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson after he played one season with the Rams. They also made the call to extend him another year, locking him in through 2027.

This was a bold move for Poles, seeing as though Jackson is coming off of an injury-shortened year in 2024. He disappointed in the Rams’ first two games at guard and center, got hurt, played in one game and got benched, then returned to the starting lineup for one more game in Week 18.

Granted, Jackson played at right guard in that Week 18 game — the position he’ll play with the Bears — and he finished with a 91.8 PFF grade on 66 snaps. He was a Pro Bowl guard under Johnson in Detroit, and there’s still plenty of upside to tap into.

I liked the trade for the Bears, seeing as though they only gave up a sixth-round pick to take a shot on him. Adding an extra year to his contract is what gives me pause. However, if Johnson trusts him and knows he can succeed in his system, who am I to question it?

Favorite Day 3 pick: Zah Frazier​

I thought about going with Kyle Monangai here, as the former Rutgers running back has the chance to contribute right away as a seventh-round rookie for the Bears. As much as I like that pick, I decided to shake it up and go with Zah Frazier for this last superlative.

Frazier is a big question mark, seeing as though he’s a one-year FBS starter at a Group of 5 school. He was UTSA’s highest-rated recruit as a JUCO transfer, and he lived up to the hype in 2024 with six interceptions and nine pass deflections.

Zah Frazier is a CB prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.35 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 179 out of 2752 CB from 1987 to 2025.https://t.co/eBK9KiaAX7 pic.twitter.com/VcX9MWOF92

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 3, 2025​

6’3” cornerback with nearly 33-inch arms and 4.3 speed don’t grow on trees. Frazier is a physical specimen with the ball skills from his early days as a wide receiver to make him a serious playmaking threat in the secondary.

Frazier is very raw as a technician, as his route-recognition skills are average, and his hip fluidity and pad level in his backpedal need to be improved. He’ll be a backup for the Bears in 2025, but if he develops properly, he has eventual starting upside in the NFL.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...draft-free-agency-ben-johnson-dayo-dalman-zah

 

[Chicago Bears]

The Bear’s Den, July 8, 2025

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Pundits rank Bears offensive line, Loveland high this preseason

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THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

DENMASTER KEN’S VIDEO GRAB BAG

BEARRRSSSS​

Chicago Bears mailbag: Did they finally get it right with Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams? - The Athletic - Heading into training camp, what’s on the minds of Bears fans? Did they finally get it right at coach and QB? Will Cole Kmet be traded?

2025 NFL offensive line rankings: Eagles, Broncos lead the way, Bears up to fourth. - Things are set to look a lot different in Chicago. Not only is the offensive line remolded, but it’s also perhaps the most improved unit in the NFL.

2015 NFL Redraft: Rebuilding the first round based on PFF grades and data, Bears make huge change - At the time, Kevin White was viewed as the next Julio Jones-type receiver, boasting a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds. But injuries early in his career dashed hopes of that level of production.

2025 NFL All-Rookie Team: Projecting 11 instant-impact newcomers on offense - NFL.com - Colston Loveland makes the list. Standing 6-6, 241 pounds, Loveland is a tight end who runs routes with the fluidity of a wideout. That’s what makes him special. And that’s what made Sam LaPorta a rookie Pro Bowler under Ben Johnson in Detroit, so it stands to reason that Johnson will get the most out of Loveland in Chicago.

2025 NFL offseason: Biggest surprise players on each team - ESPN - Ben Johnson singled out Ruben Hyppolite as the player that Bears coaches saw the most improvement from this spring. With veteran T.J. Edwards sidelined with a soft tissue injury, Hyppolite got a lot of run with the starting defense at a position he doesn’t have much experience at (weakside linebacker) after playing middle linebacker throughout his career at Maryland.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Mark Davis: Al Davis loved Las Vegas, would love seeing where the Raiders are now - NBC Sports - The legendary Raiders owner Al Davis died in 2011, having moved his franchise from Oakland to Los Angeles and back, but he didn't live to see his team in Las Vegas.

Report: Nyheim Hines wants to find a team for training camp - NBC Sports - Nyheim Hines would like another shot.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON​

Bears superlatives for 2025 offseason - Windy City Gridiron - WCG’s lead draft analyst analyzes his “superlatives” for the Bears’ choices in the 2025 offseason.

2025 Chicago Bears Training Camp Battle: WR3: Burden vs Zaccheaus - Windy City Gridiron - Luther Burden and Olamide Zaccheaus will battle it out for WR3.

10 Most Important Bears of 2025: #8 Grady Jarrett - Windy City Gridiron - Grady Jarrett was released by the Atlanta Falcons just a couple of hours before the early negotiation period for free agency was about to start, and the Chicago Bears worked quickly to ink him to a...

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Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...-offseason-draft-ben-johnson-colston-loveland

 

[Chicago Bears]

Training Camp Battles: Kicker: Cairo Santos vs Jonathan Kim

Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images

Does Cairo Santos have his spot locked up or will Jonathan Kim challenge him?

Our next training camp battle will be fully determined by the challenger.

I think basically all Chicago Bears fans understand the limitations of Cairo Santos. The Bears don’t need to be actively pursuing his replacement right now. He’s a reliable kicker, being virtually automatic from inside 40 yards. But Santos’ issues are that he isn’t nearly as reliable when kicks are a little further out.

Santos isn’t awful beyond 40 yards, but he’s pedestrian. He only made 5 of his 8 kicks from 40 to 49 yards, and while he was quite good from 50+ (he was 8 for 9 last year), the problem is that Santos' 50+ attempts are usually just 51 or 52 yards long. He has hit a few times from 54 or 55, but those are usually indoors or aided by the wind. He just doesn’t have the type of leg that good teams have at that spot.

Santos is under contract for the next three seasons, but at this point, it isn’t too difficult for the Bears to get out from under his contract. It’s a good situation for the Bears. They have Santos for the next three years at an affordable rate, but they can replace him whenever they see fit.

Enter Jonathan Kim.

Kim spent six seasons in college football. He spent four years at North Carolina and rarely played, but thanks to all the extended careers around COVID, he was able to transfer to Michigan State two seasons ago.

Kim’s 2023 season was a little suspect, making just 13 of 18 field goals, but last season he jumped to going 19 for 21 and earning second-team All-Big Ten. Last season, Kim made 3 of 4 from 50+ and was 8 for 8 from 40 to 49. Any kicker that makes 11 for 12 from beyond 40 is going to get looks by NFL teams. Kim’s long last season was 55 yards, which matches Santos’ career long as well. Kim’s long in 2023 was 58 yards, well beyond the range of Santos.

Kim was considered a good kicking prospect, but not elite. Of the draft websites that rank kickers, none had Kim in the top five kickers.

But Kim has an NFL leg and showed significant improvement from 2023 to 2024. If Kim comes in and impresses the Bears, especially from 50+ yards, they will absolutely have to consider him to take over for Santos this season.

However, if Kim looks like most rookies do and has some inconsistencies in his game in training camp and potentially in preseason games as well, Kim is going to find himself being released before week one, and Santos will remain the Bears' kicker, at least for this season.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...p-battles-kicker-cairo-santos-vs-jonathan-kim

 

[Chicago Bears]

Ranking the Bears' Biggest Rivals in 2025 and Beyond

Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

Taking a look at the Bears’ biggest rivals entering the upcoming NFL season

The spirit of competition in sports naturally breeds rivalry. While highly-contested play is largely the biggest reason for a rivalry to blossom, there is no doubt a number of factors and causes that can bring just a little more edge and hostility to what might otherwise be “friendly competition.” In a league that is more than 100 years old, like the NFL, that is certainly no exception.

With the recent schedule announcement and much of the offseason staff/roster excitement behind us, now is a great time for me to assess and rank my top 10 Chicago Bears rivals heading into the 2025 season.

Honorable Mentions (Bears’ All-time Record, including playoffs):​

Atlanta Falcons (16-14), Dallas Cowboys (12-16), and Pittsburgh Steelers (19-8-1)

Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

The first three teams I have missing the cut here share one thing in common – familiar faces. Specifically, a former Coach, General Manager, and… owner? The key one is Matt Eberflus, former Bears Head Coach, who has now taken over as the Defensive Coordinator in Dallas. Atlanta, meanwhile, has enjoyed the services of former Bears General Manager Ryan Pace as a front office executive since 2022. Obviously, I make the “owner” comment in jest as I refer to new Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers, but his history with Chicago is well-documented at this point. It’s worth adding that Eberflus and Pace likely played big roles in luring fan favorite former Bears like Jack Sanborn and Darnell Mooney to Dallas and Atlanta, respectively.

Ultimately, though, there isn’t enough strength in the recent history of these matchups (even the notorious Cassius Marsh – Steelers game) to warrant any of them taking the place of another team on this ranking.

10: Kansas City Chiefs (7-7 All-time, 0-1 2020s)​

David Banks-Imagn Images

Let’s all count to 10 together, shall we? Obviously, if the Bears could manage to be halfway competitive in competition against the Chiefs, this could easily fly up the rankings. Even so, the fact that the Bears could have selected Patrick Mahomes in place of Mitch Trubisky in the 2017 draft is unavoidable, and Mahomes’ greatness has stood as a reminder of the Bears’ offensive futility ever since (that said, I’ve always felt Chicago would have limited his potential anyway).

That alone might land KC an honorable mention, if not for another familiar face in former Head Coach Matt Nagy. General consensus seems to have warmed on Nagy, now one ‘Flus removed from his run in Chicago. Still, seeing his success leaving the Bears adds a little more fuel to this rivalry.

9: Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3 All-time, 2-0 2020s)​

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jacksonville is an interesting one. On one hand, they bungled their initial coaching search this offseason, which *may* have resulted in the Bears landing Ben Johnson without having to worry about them. Many thought Chicago and Jacksonville could be Johnson’s top 2 landing spots.

On the other hand, that bungling resulted in their delayed GM vacancy and interview process that led to Bears Assistant GM Ian Cunningham being pulled away from his usual responsibilities as he pursued the Jaguars GM job. We’ll never know what kind of impact that may have had on the Bears’ draft process, but Cunningham wasn’t selected for the job, the Bears weren’t rewarded compensatory draft picks, and this entanglement with Jacksonville was established that will see Ben Johnson directly compared to new Jacksonville Head Coach Liam Coen.

Both offensive-minded head coaches will also have a 2024 1st-round WR at their disposal in the Bears’ Rome Odunze, selected at number 9 overall, and the Jaguars’ Brian Thomas Jr., the very next receiver taken at number 23 overall.

8: New York Jets (9-4 All-time, 0-1 2020s)​

John Jones-Imagn Images

The Jets are a team that have multiple layers to a rivalry with the Bears. I’m sure most of you reading this are immediately jumping to the Justin Fields connection, and that’s completely fair. Fields stepping into the starting role for the J-E-T-S, less than 2 years removed from being serenaded by “we want Justin” chants in his final game for the Bears at Soldier Field, is the most interesting element to this one.

Caleb Williams vs Justin Fields will always be a story worth keeping an eye on, even if most fans in Chicago don’t hold any negativity towards the latter. The additional layer to this rivalry comes from the new coaches as both Ben Johnson and new Jets Head Coach, Aaron Glenn, took their new posts this offseason after departing the Detroit Lions coaching staff. It will be intriguing to see how Johnson’s Bears compare to Glenn (former Lions DC) and his Jets in the coming years.

7: Las Vegas Raiders (9-8 All-time, 2-0 2020s)​

Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Raiders are another team on this list that was considered to be a suitor for Ben Johnson this offseason. However, unlike others, Las Vegas was perhaps the team most likely to have tempted the then-Lions OC to take their vacancy. If you can put yourself back in time, you may recall that many actually expected Tom Brady’s Raiders to do just that after the Lions had been eliminated from the playoffs.

Fortunately, that wasn’t to be, and instead, Pete Carroll finds himself in the desert with Geno Smith in tow. The Bears have gotten the better of the recent matchups, but the Ben Johnson saga seems to have fired up an already fiery Raiders fanbase and with both teams looking to reestablish themselves this season, there’s plenty of fuel for a rivalry to burn here.

6: Carolina Panthers (9-4 All-time, 3-0 2020s)​

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

This feels like the point where things are officially heating up. The Panthers are the team that got me thinking about this rivalry ranking in the first place about a year ago. In the wake of the “Bryce Young trade,” (short for the “Bryce Young for DJ Moore, Darnell Wright, Tyrique Stevenson, Caleb Williams, Tory Taylor, and Luther Burden III trade”). tensions between these otherwise neutral fanbases elevated to borderline uncomfortable levels.

Poor J.B. couldn’t even put out an obviously satirical article without getting pounced on by Sir Purr’s faithful. As a former North Carolina resident myself, I can say you hate to see people blessed with such beautiful weather get caught up in the frustration of a painfully inept franchise. As a Bears fan, I can say that it’s perfectly fine to get caught up in the frustration of a painfully inept franchise, and I get it. All joking aside, the Panthers showed some signs of life in the latter half of last season, so even though the Bears appear to have gotten the better of them, the end of this story may not yet have been written.

5: New England Patriots (5-11 All-time, 1-1 2020s)​

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

While the Bears’ new Head Coach has thus far been a common theme in a few rivalries, another theme to look for is the Bears’ starting quarterback: Caleb Williams. Williams obviously was taken 1st overall in the 2024 draft, a draft which featured one of the most highly-touted QB classes in recent history and has (at least through one season) not disappointed.

One of the most notable of Williams’ peers is the New England Patriots’ Drake Maye, who was selected with the 3rd overall pick. Not only will Williams and Maye be continuously linked throughout their careers, but they’ve already gone head-to-head with Maye and the Patriots getting the (unexpected) victory over the Bears at Soldier Field last season. Of course, you can sprinkle in a little coaching intrigue in the form of the Ben Johnson/Mike Vrabel hires to further spice this up if you’d like, as these two were widely viewed as the sole names on the top tier of available head coaching candidates this offseason. The greater potential for sustained competition gives New England an edge over Carolina in these rankings for me.

4: Washington Commanders (25-28-1 All-time, 1-2 2020s)​

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Now, it should go without saying that every point I made about Drake Maye goes for Jayden Daniels to an even greater extent. Daniels was selected with the 2nd overall pick, right behind Williams, and went on to have one of the greatest rookie seasons for a quarterback ever. That season, of course, included a now infamous victory over the Bears on a Hail Mary play that signaled the derailment of the season for Chicago.

Despite the differences in record, these teams played in a classic last season and seem primed to have a rivalry for the foreseeable future, as long as the Bears are up to the task. In fact, given the intrigue of the recent matchups, the hostility that has been built, and the potential for more, I very nearly placed Washington ahead of the next team on the list, until very recent developments made it clear that just wouldn’t be possible.

3: Minnesota Vikings (58-68-2 All-time, 2-8 2020s)​

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

At this point in the rankings, the entries shouldn’t really be as surprising (as much as I’d have loved to hit you with a wild “#2 will SHOCK you”). What might surprise you, though, is that I nearly didn’t have Minnesota ranking this high. When looking at this rivalry ranking for specifically the upcoming season, I felt pretty strongly about the case I just made for Washington, almost enough for them to overtake a division rival. But then… the book. The recent drama that emerged around Caleb Williams’ pre-draft feelings about the Bears definitely ratcheted up the intrigue in a Minnesota matchup after Williams apparently claimed to prefer the Vikings as a landing spot in the 2024 draft over Chicago.

When you add that to the historical context between the franchises and relatively competitive games a season ago, you get a really solid foundation. You can throw the Kevin Warren factor in, if you’d like, since the Bears' President and CEO previously served as the Vikings' COO, but what’s most interesting to me about this rivalry is watching the path each team has taken since 2022. That was the year in which both teams had a vacancy at both GM and Head Coach. The Bears hired Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus and are now onto Ben Johnson, while the Vikings hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell and have made two playoff appearances.

2: Detroit Lions (105-80-5 All-time, 4-6 2020s)​

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The runner-up is this ranking is the team that pulled off the kind of franchise turnaround that everyone in Chicago is hoping to emulate. In fact, they lured away one of the key figures of that turnaround to help lead the way in new Head Coach Ben Johnson. You may or may not have noticed this, but that created a little bit of hostility amongst the fanbase in the silver and blue. It’s true. While may of us Bears fans hoped or expected (maybe even manifested?) Ben Johnson’s arrival in Chicago, the fact that he chose a division rival when he had many suitors, definitely rubbed Lions fans the wrong way, particularly in the immediate aftermath of a tough playoff loss to the Washington Commanders.

Lions players have already voiced their opinions about wanting to get the best of Ben, whether they say it in the spirit of “friendly” competition or not, and that feeling is sure to be reciprocated. That’s not to mention that despite the Lions’ ascension in recent years, the Bears have managed to play them tough in recent matchups, nearly splitting wins in the 2020s, including some close games that really could or should have gone Chicago’s way. Players-wise, I’ll mention the Sewell brothers, I guess, but the David Montgomery – D’Andre Swift pseudo-trade is the more interesting element at play. All said, these will be two can’t-miss matchups in the season ahead.

1: Green Bay Packers (96-108-6 All-time, 1-9 2020s)​

Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

I mean, come on, it had to be. Right? There is certainly a case to be made regarding the level of recent competition between the Bears and Packers and how one-sided it has been in the modern era, being enough to rationalize dropping this rivalry. Even so, that feels almost sacrilegious. The 2025 Green Bay rivalry may not have the recent back-and-forth that the matchups with Detroit have seen or even some of the off-the-field intrigue that the Minnesota rivalry has had added recently, but that doesn’t mean this is coasting on pure nostalgia either.

There was certainly plenty of on-the-field drama in the most recent game between these two as Caleb Williams led the Bears into scoring position and Cairo Santos sealed a victory in Lambeau Field this past January. The players on both sides also seem to continuously buy into this rivalry, adding more weight when they go head-to-head. What’s exciting is that it seems to have even spread to the new coach, as Ben Johnson went out of his way to take a shot at the Packers' head coach, Matt LeFleur, during his introductory press conference when he cited that he “kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year,” as a reason for wanting to stay in the NFC North. LeFleur, for his part, downplayed Johnson’s comments, but you have to imagine those words sitting at the back of is mind the next time these teams compete in the NFL’s most historic rivalry.

So, with the dust settled and a total of 13 teams named, how do you feel about this ranking? Are there any teams that I left out that deserve a spot, or maybe just a team that you feel is placed too high/low? This was a fun exercise to work through, and I’d love to see what the rest of the fanbase has to say about the Bears’ biggest rivals entering the upcoming season.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...ackers-patriots-commanders-lions-vikings-jets

 

[Chicago Bears]

Five veterans with the most to prove to stick around for 2026

Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

With Training Camp just over two weeks away, it’s time to start looking ahead. With a projected cap crunch coming next season, these five veterans have the most to prove in 2025 in order to stick around following the season.

As the NFL offseason winds down and teams start to prepare for the 2025 regular season, there’s a dead period between the final practice of mandatory minicamp and the start of training camp. This allows teams to assess their current rosters while also exploring what the next few years could look like in terms of the cap. For a team like the Chicago Bears, there have been plenty of big contracts handed out in 2025 that will have impacts far beyond this one season.

Bears fans have grown accustomed to a significant amount of cap flexibility over the last few seasons. After all, most bad teams usually have plenty of money to spend. The bigger issue is having enough good players to spend cap space on and ultimately meet the cash floor in those three years. Over the last three years, the Bears have consistently ranked in the Top 10 in available cap space throughout the offseason. With a new coaching staff and higher expectations, General Manager Ryan Poles spent more money in 2025 than he had in the previous three offseasons.

As a result, their cap outlook for 2026 appears tight on the surface. As of now, Chicago is projected to be $7.26 million over the cap when accounting for getting to the 51-player minimum. That, of course, is based on Over The Cap’s assumed $295.5 million cap for 2026 and does not account for any rollovers. Although this should not cause panic among the fanbase, it’s fair to say that they will have to make some tough roster decisions next year. Those decisions will come in the way of cuts, restructures, and allowing players to test the market. We’ll take a look at five players to keep an eye on this season, who are ultimately playing for their futures in Chicago.

1. LB Tremaine Edmunds​

No player on this list has more pressure on him than Edmunds heading into the 2025 season. With T.J. Edwards signing a two-year extension and a crunch to next year’s salary cap, Edmunds is going to need to have a career year to be retained. The former Bill has had a lackluster two years in Chicago, coming off a career year in Buffalo. His size, speed, and length have always been intriguing, but his inability to stay consistent has plagued him for most of his career.

Edmunds signed a four-year, $72 million deal in 2023, and due to the structure of that deal, he was essentially guaranteed three years of the contract. 2026 is a different story, and for a team like the Bears, who will be strapped against the cap, he’s their best candidate for a big chunk of cap relief. Barring an All-Pro type of season, there’s a very good chance that he’s playing his last year in Chicago.

2026 Cap Ramifications: $17.483 million cap hit with $15 million in savings (if released)

2. TE Cole Kmet​

Without such an expensive offseason that will hit even harder in 2026, it would have been much easier to feel better about Kmet’s future beyond this season. Instead, the 26-year-old’s future in Chicago is firmly in question. Heading into the offseason, most had expected Kmet to be a focal point of the offense under Johnson. Instead, the team went out and spent their No. 10 overall pick on Colston Loveland, who should be a perfect fit for this offense in the Sam LaPorta role.

So, where does that leave Kmet?

Historically, rookie tight ends tend to start slow. So, it should not be a surprise to see the former Notre Dame product heavily involved in the offense in the early stages of the season. The back half of the season should be more telling. Once Loveland is healthy and gets his feet under him at the NFL level, fans should expect to see him as a featured piece in this offense. Looking back at Johnson’s tight end usage in Detroit, it’s fair to expect their TE1 to see 70% (or more) of the total offensive snaps, and TE2 to eclipse the 50% mark.

Even so, can the Bears afford to pay Kmet’s $11.6 million cap hit? In theory, yes. Due to the modern-day structure of NFL contracts, they could allocate additional funds to keep him under contract. The money saved on a trade or release might be too much to pass up, though. Especially if there are more holes than anticipated heading into next offseason. The only way Kmet can ensure his roster spot is safe heading into 2026 is to have a career year, which might be difficult if he sees less time on the field.

2026 Cap Ramifications: $11.6 million cap hit with $8.4 million in savings (if traded or released pre-June 1st)

3. LT Braxton Jones​

Jones has been nothing short of a success story for a fifth-round pick who was plucked from a small school. The fact that he was able to step in from Day 1 and develop into a quality starting left tackle was one of general manager Ryan Poles’ best success stories. That being said, injuries have begun to pile up, and the Bears cannot afford to pay another offensive lineman responsibly. Next year alone, the Bears will be spending roughly $59.5 million on six linemen, including Ozzy Trapilo and Kiran Amgegadjie. A year later, Darnell Wright is projected to cost the team close to $18 million if they choose to exercise his fifth-year option.

Simply put, it’s hard to imagine many scenarios where the Bears can afford to pay four of their starting five offensive linemen $14 million or more per season in 2026. This was always the risk with their offseason approach of paying three interior linemen good money.

Call it a hunch, but it would be a surprise if Trapilo didn’t receive every opportunity to win the Week 1 starting job at left tackle. Despite the talk of potentially moving Wright to left tackle, that’s a scenario that would require two, maybe three plans to go horribly wrong. At worst, Jones is their starting left tackle to open the season. Realistically, he’s likely to produce a more balanced season than Trapilo or Amegadjie. Even so, this is the type of decision that requires a long-term outlook, which is why it’s fair to expect Trapilo to have multiple opportunities to win the starting job from the outset.

Assuming that one of Trapilo or Amegadjie can grab the job by the horns and run with it, Bears fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Jones shopped once he’s healthy. Although we are weeks away from finding out how this will all play out, it would take multiple situations going Jones’ way for him to be back in Chicago next season.

2026 Cap Ramifications: Projected Unrestricted Free Agent (Projected Contract Floor: Dan Moore four years, $82 million with $50 million guaranteed)

Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

4. CB Tyrique Stevenson​

By all accounts, this is a big season in the career of Stevenson. Following a promising rookie campaign in 2023, adversity struck for the majority of last year. Even before the disastrous Hail Mary in Washington, Stevenson was not playing at a high level. Following the blunder, he was routinely benched and appeared to lose all confidence. He finished the season on a better note, but to label him anything more than an unknown heading into Year 3 would be optimistic.

The good news for Stevenson: He’ll have a relatively clean slate with the new coaching staff.

The potential bad news for Stevenson: He’s already accounted for enough playing time over his first two years to qualify on the Level 2 Proven Performance Escalator fourth-year rookie contract scale. This means that his projected $2.052 million cap hit for 2026 converts to an original round tender (projected at $3.453 million), plus an additional $250,000 for reaching level two, and his prorated bonus figure of $422,637 that registers as dead money. His actual cap hit would more than double.

Simply thinking out loud, it’s hard to imagine a team snug against the cap wanting to pay a player $4.126 million if they aren’t sure he’s an ascending player. That’s not to say that Stevenson will struggle again this year, but due to these escalators in each non-first-round pick’s contract, the former Miami product’s future is more clouded than it would be at $2.052 million. If he plays well, it’s a no-brainer. If someone like Zah Frazier starts earning rotational reps with the starters as the season goes on, Stevenson could be a cut or trade candidate heading into next offseason.

2026 Cap Ramifications: $4.126 million cap hit with $422,637 in dead cap. (Projected at a PPE2 amount as a fourth-year player)

5. S Elijah Hicks ​

The top four names on this list have been associated with a more negative connotation due to their financial ramifications. The last player of the five is here for the opposite reason. Looking at the Bears’ 2026 depth chart, there isn’t a single safety there, unless you’re optimistic that Major Burns and Tysheem Johnson will crack the final 53-man roster in September.

Kevin Byard will be 32 before the start of Week 1, and Jaquan Brisker’s concussion issues are well-documented. Although there’s a chance they could look to retain one of these names, settling on a value for an often-injured player like Brisker will be a challenging task. Instead, fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Hicks getting more playing time in this defense. New defensive coordinator Dennis Allen typically deploys five to six defensive backs in his subpackages. This means that even when a player like Kyler Gordon is on the field as the nickel, there will be plenty of opportunities for a sixth defensive back to make their mark. On paper, that could be Hicks, as he has the versatility at safety or even cornerback.

With no real answers heading into next season, giving Hicks an extended look to prove himself as a capable starter should be high on their priority list. It would be cheaper than overspending in free agency, and more reliable than expecting a rookie to play like an NFL veteran in their first year. Of all the Bears’ upcoming free agents, Hicks has one of the better chances to establish his value and get a multi-year extension next year.

2026 Cap Ramifications: Projected Unrestricted Free Agent

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...stick-around-for-2026-starting-with-cole-kmet