The Bears Are Off-Season Champions Once Again
The NFL offseason is underway, and the Bears have made some noise.
They’ve added several key pieces to the roster through trades and free-agent signings.
The NFL Draft is still over a month away, but I think it’s fair to crown the Chicago Bears as the offseason champions.
This is the third year in a row the Bears have won the offseason; hopefully, this year will be different.
Previous Offseason Champions
During the 2023 NFL offseason, the Bears were crowned champions because of one significant move, “The Haul.” The Bears traded the number one overall pick to the Carolina Panthers. In exchange, they received D.J. Moore, the ninth overall pick, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2024 second-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick. They used the ninth pick to trade down to #10 and select Darnell Wright, improving the offensive line. Then they used the 2024 second to draft Tyrique Stevenson. This trade alone was enough to give them the crown, but they added other players as well.
In free agency, the Bears notably added T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Nate Davis, Andrew Billings, Robert Tonyan, and D’Onta Foreman. In the draft, they selected Darnell Wright, Tyrique Stevenson, Gervon Dexter, Zaach Pickens, Roschon Johnson, Tyler Scott, and Terell Smith. These additions had Bears fans ecstatic, but the season still went poorly.
The 2024 off-season was probably even better. They drafted their franchise quarterback, Caleb Williams, with the first pick and Rome Odunze at number nine. Then, they went on to select Kiran Amagedje, Tory Taylor, and Austin Booker.
Their free agent/trade acquisitions were also notable. After adding Kevin Byard, Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift, Gerald Everett, Darrell Taylor, Coleman Shelton, Ryan Bates, and Matt Pryor, the Bears were crowned as back-to-back offseason champions.
2025 Additions
While the Bears’ roster will be complete after the draft, they’ve already made a plethora of additions.
Offensive Line
The Bears’ top priority this offseason was fixing the offensive line. Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times last season, and that can’t be replicated.
So, what do Ryan Poles and the Bears do?
They address the offensive line. In the past two off-seasons, Poles has failed to improve the O-line, and fans have been hard on him. It’s only fair that we celebrate him when he invests significant assets in it.
Jonah Jackson
PHOTO: Chicago Bears/Facebook
The first big-time move for the Bears this offseason was trading for guard Jonah Jackson. They sent the Rams a 6th round pick to acquire the former Pro Bowler. Jackson spent the majority of his career playing for the Lions under OC Ben Johnson. In Detroit, Jackson was an excellent player and started 57 games. He was even selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021.
His contract is pretty hefty at $17 million a year. But the guard market has exploded this offseason. The Packers just signed guard Aaron Banks for $19 million per year, and while he’s been a solid player in San Francisco, he isn’t on Jackson’s level.
What matters is that the Bears acquired a good offensive lineman in Jackson, who will start at right guard in Chicago.
Ben Johnson recently expressed his confidence in Jackson by saying that the Bears are getting a pro-bowl-caliber guard, which will help the Bears tremendously.
Joe Thuney
Their next big move was an absolute stunner. They traded a 2026 4th-round pick for Chiefs guard Joe Thuney. Thuney has been one of, if not the best guard in football over the past five seasons. He is a four-time All-Pro, something the Bears haven’t had for a while. Even at 32 years old, Thuney still has a lot left in the tank. His talent and veteran leadership will be second to none on the Bears’ O-line.
At $16 million per year, Thuney is worth it. He will transform the offensive line and be a day-one starter at left guard.
Drew Dalman
Ryan Poles has been known to strike fast in free agency, and he continued that trend this offseason. About 20 minutes into free agency, the Bears agreed to terms with Falcons center Drew Dalman on a 3-year $42 million contract with $28 million guaranteed. The deal makes Dalman the second-highest-paid center in the league at $14 million per year, and he’s worth every penny.
Dalman had been connected to the Bears since the offseason began, and they were quickly able to land him. The center position has been a massive question mark since the great Olin Kruetz in the early 2000s. But now, they have a true difference-maker. Dalman has had an 84.8 PFF grade since 2023, 5th among centers. He will he a substantial addition to the O-line.
Defensive Line
The Bears’ second biggest weakness last season was their defensive line. They struggled to get pressure on the quarterback and couldn’t even stop the run when Andrew Billings got hurt. It was evident that the Bears needed to add more talent on the D-line, and they’ve gotten off to a great start.
Dayo Odeyingbo
A few hours into free agency, the Bears signed former Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo to a 3-year $48 million contract with $32 million guaranteed. Fans were torn about signing a player with just three sacks last season for $16 million per year, but I understand why they did it.
Dayo is your typical 4-3 defensive end at 6’6” and 286 lbs. He is the exact player Dennis Allen prefers for his defensive ends. At that size, he’s able to set the edge and use his power to push offensive tackles into the backfield. Dayo should be a perfect fit in the Bears’ defensive scheme.
However, an ideal scheme fit can’t be the only reason a team signs someone to such a lucrative contract. Dayo is a young player at 25 years old, and he’s already shown a lot of talent in his 4-year career. In just his second season with the Colts, he produced 5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits. Just a year later, he recorded 8 sacks and 17 quarterback hits. This production is even more impressive when taking into account that he only started five games in those two years. He played in all of them but only started in five.
Last year was a bit of a down season in terms of sacks, as Dayo only finished with three. But the Colts asked him to play a lot of DT. While he has the versatility to play inside and out, Dayo typically plays defensive end. I would think the lack of sack production is due to the position change.
Dayo is certainly a player the Bears are betting on for the future. He is a young player who has shown a lot of potential. If the Bears are right, Dayo’s contract will look like a steal.
Grady Jarrett
Grady Jarrett is a popular name in the NFL. When the Atlanta Falcons released him on Monday, fans were quickly pulling for the Bears to sign him. Then, shortly after signing Dayo, the Bears reached an agreement with Jarrett on a 3-year $43.5 million contract with $28 million guaranteed.
He is a veteran defensive tackle who has played a lot of football in the NFL. Jarrett has been in the league for 10 years and is a very good player. As a full-time starter in Atlanta for the past eight seasons, Jarrett became one of the league’s better DTs. He typically plays the three-technique position, which is something the Bears have been searching for. At the 3T, Jarrett is a great run-stopper with the quickness to get to the quarterback. Now he joins Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter to make for an excellent DT rotation in Chicago.
As a person, Jarrett might be even better. From the moment his introductory press conference began, Bears fans fell in love with him. He provides so much energy and reminds me a lot of Akiem Hicks. Without even playing a game, I can tell Jarrett will make an instant impact on the locker room and the fanbase.
The Chicago Bears have done something even the Kansas City Chiefs couldn’t: They three-peated as offseason champions.
Their additions to the trenches have been great, and even though the draft has yet to happen, the Bears have already won the offseason.
PHOTO: Chicago Bears/Facebook
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