4 Positions the Bears Can’t Ignore This Offseason
Now that we’ve had some time to reflect on the Bears’ unforgettable 2025 season, it’s time to look ahead to the offseason.
The Bears accomplished so much last season.
They won the NFC North and beat the Packers in the playoffs. But they still came up short of their goal: win a Super Bowl.
In the offseason, the Bears will have the opportunity to improve their roster, and there are four positions they must prioritize.
1) Defensive Tackle
Ever since Ryan Poles joined the Bears in 2022, the defensive line has been the team’s most consistent weakness. And the issue starts on the interior.
The Bears were the 7th-worst team in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game at 131.4. They also allowed the 4th most yards per carry at 5.0.
In terms of rushing the passer, the best kind of pressure is when it comes from the interior (the defensive tackles). Interior pressure disrupts the entire play immediately. The defender gets right in the quarterback’s face and impairs his vision. It’s also harder for the quarterback to escape because the pressure from the interior collapses and pushes the entire pocket backwards.
The Bears’ DT room, led by Jeremy Garett and consisting of Gervon Dexter, Grady Jarrett, Andrew Bilings, and Chris Williams, was very mediocre. They failed to apply consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks and didn’t hold up in the run game. Andrew Billings and Chris Williams are set to become free agents this offseason. I don’t think they’ll bring Billings back, but I could see them re-signing Williams on a cheap, one-year deal. He’s a solid player, but doesn’t move the needle.
On the bright side, the Bears will be getting defensive tackle Shemar Turner back from injury next season. Stewart was one of the Bears’ second-round picks in the 2025 draft. His rookie season was cut short due to a torn ACL, but he showed flashes of being a starting-caliber player.
As of right now, the Bears will enter next season with Dexter, Jarrett, and Shemar Turner as their defensive tackles. I believe they need to acquire a difference maker to add to this group.
When you look at the four teams that made the conference championships, the Rams, Seahawks, Broncos, and Patriots, they all have phenomenal defensive tackle groups.
- Rams – Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, and Braden Fiske
- Seahawks – Byron Murphy and Leonard Williams
- Broncos – Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers
- Patriots – Milton Williams and Christian Barmore
The Bears’ number one priority this offseason should be to upgrade the defensive tackle room, and luckily, there are some great options in the draft.
2) Safety
The Bears’ safeties played spectacularly last season. Kevin Byard led the NFL with 7 INTs and was named to the All-Pro first team. Jaquan Brisker has his ups and downs, but he remains a starting-caliber player who occasionally makes game-changing plays.
So why do the Bears need to address the safety position?
Well, that’s because none of their safeties from last season are currently on the roster. All four of the Bears’ safeties (Byard, Brisker, Jonathan Owens, and Elijah Hicks) are free agents. If the Bears want any of them back, they’ll have to negotiate a contract.
I think it is a MUST to bring back Kevin Byard. Yes, I understand that he’s 32 years old. However, Byard is coming off the best season of his career. He’s also the leader of the defense, and I would argue he’s the most vocal leader on the team. Byard’s value is significant, and the Bears have to re-sign him.
Jaquan Brisker is the trickier one. Brisker was Ryan Poles’ second-ever draft pick with the Bears. The young safety is uber talented. He is an elite athlete and is a heat-seeking missile when attacking ball carriers. But his injury history is a concern.
Brisker has played at least 15 games in three of his four seasons in the NFL. The other season, he only played five due to concussions. Concussions are one of the scariest injuries in the NFL because they impact the brain. Brisker’s been diagnosed with three concussions in his short NFL career. I don’t want to bring this up because I love Brisker so much as a player, but his life means more than football. If he were to get another concussion, there’s a chance he could retire, so the Bears have to factor that into their decision.
Jonathan Owens and Elijah Hicks are both solid backups who could return on cheaper contracts, but neither of them is a starter.
There are several talented safeties the Bears could target in free agency and in the draft, so I would expect Chicago’s safety group to look much different next year.
3) Left Tackle
You’re probably reading this and wondering why in the world I don’t have left tackle as the Bears’ #1 need. And while I understand everyone’s concern, I think I can give you a little more confidence in the Bears’ left tackle situation.
Entering the 2025 season, the left tackle position was a massive question mark. Was it going to be Braxton Jones? Was Darnell Wright going to move over to the left? Or was one of the young guys going to get a chance? The Bears ultimately went with Braxton Jones, but that didn’t last long. Theo Benedet eventually took over for Jones. Then, when Benedet got injured, rookie Ozzy Trapilo replaced him.
At Boston College, Trapilo played right tackle, so sliding over to the left was quite an adjustment, especially for a rookie. But he played fairly well given the circumstances, and he improved drastically as the season went along. Unfortunately, in the Wild Card game against the Packers, Trapilo ruptured his patellar tendon. This injury will keep him out for approximately a year. That leaves the Bears with a hole to fill at left tackle.
I do think the Bears should look to add someone to fill the starting spot. Veteran free agents such as Taylor Decker and Justin Skule would make sense. The Bears could sign them on a short-term deal to start until Trapilo returns.
Let’s not forget that Theo Benedet is returning. The Bears re-signed Benedet to a one-year, $1 million extension. He’s not the best player in the world; everyone knows that. But he was at least capable when asked to fill in last season. He wasn’t a complete liability like Kiran Amegadjie when he started against the Vikings.
In an ideal world, the Bears sign a veteran tackle and use Theo as the backup swing tackle. Obviously, the left tackle position is one of need for the Bears, but it’s not as dire as some fans make it out to be.
4) Defensive End
I’m going to say this again: the Bears’ defensive line needs improvement. They ranked 22nd in the league last year with 35 sacks and ranked 31st in pressures with 214.
They have Montez Sweat, who is a very good player. He’s not elite, but he’s a good starter in the NFL. They also have Austin Booker, a young, ascending player, and Dayo Odeyingbo, whom they paid a lot of money for and who got injured last season. Those three guys are all under contract and should be returning next season.
Daniel Hardy, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and Dominique Robinson are all going to be free agents. The Bears might bring one of these players back, but I honestly don’t know if they will.
So we know that the Bears will enter next season with a good starter in Sweat, a young player in Booker, and a solid player in Dayo. But the Bears need someone who can get to the quarterback often. Plain and simple.
Whether that’s trading for Max Crosby, signing a pass-rushing specialist like Trey Hendrickson, or drafting someone, the Bears have to get somebody else to rush the passer. For years, it’s felt like opposing quarterbacks have all day to throw the football, and it’s only a matter of time before the secondary loses. The Bears have to prioritize getting to the quarterback in 2026.
The Chicago Bears had an outstanding 2025 season, but they aren’t satisfied. They are entering the offseason where they’ll look to perfect the roster.
There are a lot of moves to be made, but the Bears have to address their defensive tackle, safety, left tackle, and defensive end positions before next season.
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