Chicago Bears: Blueprint for a successful offseason in 2025

Now that the Super Bowl is over, the focus in the NFL is on the offseason. Here are some moves they need to make to have a successful 2025.

Now that the Super Bowl is over, we could put a wrap on the NFL’s 2025 season. It seems like only yesterday that we were so high on the Chicago Bears‘ chances of having a big season. Unfortunately, those chances got blown out midway through the season and it turned out to be more of the same frustrations.

The Chicago Bears started out 1-2 and we should have had a clue then. However, they went on a three-game winning streak and were 4-2 at the bye week. Then the wheels completely fell off. They went 1-10 the rest of the season. That victory came after they lost 10 straight games.

In that time, the Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and replaced him with Thomas Brown. Weeks later, after an embarrassing loss to the Detroit Lions and losing three straight games due to bad coaching, head coach Matt Eberflus was relieved of his duties and Brown took over. Wide receivers coach Chris Beatty took over as offensive coordinator.

Three offensive coordinators and two head coaches in one season does not lead to a good season. It was not for the Chicago Bears and once again the fans were left with a bitter taste of disorganization in their mouths.

Things took a turn for the better, though. The Chicago Bears hired the best head coach candidate available, Ben Johnson. That raised hopes for Chicago Bears Nation. Johnson assembled a star staff and the fans are again hopeful. For that hope to result in something good, the Bears need to make some offseason roster moves.

While having a competent staff goes a long way to improvement, having the right roster is also incredibly important. The Chicago Bears have some good talent on the roster but have a lack of talent and lack of depth in key areas. Those areas need to be addressed this offseason.

Fortunately for the Chicago Bears, they have plenty of salary cap space and four picks in the first 72 overall picks in the draft. They rank sixth in salary cap space with about $63 million. A few cuts and that number will rise.

Here are some moves the Chicago Bears need to make to have a successful 2025 season.

Add depth to the defensive line

The Chicago Bears entered the 2024 season with high hopes for the defense. That was especially true with the defensive line. They had Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter manning the middle. Early on, it looked like Dexter would have a monster season.

Billings suffered a season-ending injury and we saw how important he was. He took a lot of double teams, which freed up Dexter and the defensive ends to pressure the quarterback and stuff the run. After he went down, teams were able to gash the Bears on the ground and quarterbacks felt almost no pressure.

The Chicago Bears were woefully thin along the line. None of the backups were able to pick up the slack. Every game showed how far the unit fell. In 2023, the Chicago Bears ranked number two in rushing touchdowns allowed and were the top in rushing yards allowed. In 2024, they fell to 24th in rushing touchdowns allowed and 28th in rushing yards allowed. They just could not stop anything.

Billings is expected to return in 2025. That is good news for the defense. However, they need to add depth to the line. With the young players on the roster, perhaps signing a veteran who could step up when needed. They could draft someone but if there is a key injury they need a veteran who could step in and perform well.

Address the safety position

The Chicago Bears felt they had a strong safety duo in 2024. They let go of fan-favorite Eddie Jackson and replaced him with Kevin Byard. While Byard had a decent season, it is plain to see that he is about to fall off the cliff much like Jackson did.

Byard will be 32 when the season begins. After being an interception machine, bringing in 26 in seven seasons, he has only three in the past four seasons. Additionally, the Bears could save $7 million if they cut Byard. That gives them a good chunk of money to play with and add value to the roster.

Then there is a decision looming on Jaquan Brisker Brisker is a talented player and makes big plays. He has a difficult time staying on the field, though. He missed four full games and a handful of partial games in his first two seasons. Then, in 2024, he missed 12 games. If he cannot stay on the field he cannot help the team.

The Chicago Bears could replace one or the other. Most likely, it would be Byard, the older veteran with a big contract. The Bears could see if Brisker stays healthy in 2025. They could kick the decision on him for one more season as Brisker is in the final year of his rookie deal.

The Bears could pick up another veteran safety to replace Byard. They could find someone a little younger who could mesh well with Brisker.

Add a wide receiver

One of the most exciting positions on the Chicago Bears roster was wide receiver. In 2023, they had just D.J. Moore as a dependable receiver. That changed when general manager Ryan Poles traded for six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen. To add more excitement, Poles also drafted Rome Odunze in the first round.

The Bears felt they had one of the most dynamic wide receiver trio in the NFL. However, it did not work out. There were flashes of greatness, but they were too few and far between.

Allen was in the final season of his contract. Poles may want to re-sign him so the deal he made to bring him to Chicago does not look as bad. Having him for just one season and using a valuable fourth-round pick on him is not a good look. However, he seemed like a player who did not want to return.

Now that the Chicago Bears have a rockstar head coach and a coaching staff that looks awesome (at least on paper), would that be enough to convince Allen to run it back with Chicago? Moore certainly wants him back and Allen was on the bubble thinking about it.

It’s a new start for me, a new position and a new place. After talking with DJ (Moore) today, he wants me to run it back. So, we’ll see.

It would be nice to see the Chicago Bears re-sign Allen. However, he would have to give the team a hometown discount. This will likely be his final contract. Will he prioritize the money over playing in Chicago?

Should Allen not return, the Bears could either sign a veteran receiver who could compete with Tyler Scott for the WR3 spot. Scott. Scott came to Chicago with some expectations but has yet to make an impression. He has talent so maybe a competition could bring out his talents better.

Overhaul the offensive line

The Chicago Bears have to win games in the trenches. For too long, they have been beaten there, resulting in struggles on both offense and defense. We already covered improving the defensive line. The offensive line needs improvement as well. Saying it needs improvements seems like an understatement, though.

The Chicago Bears gave up an eye-opening 68 sacks in 2024, most in the league. That number must plummet for the offense to have any chance of playing up to its potential. Quarterback Caleb Williams had flashes of great play but spent most of his time running for his life.

That cannot happen again. Williams showed that when he has a little bit of time he will carve up defenses. Even with the sacks and pressures on him, he still broke the all-time record for consecutive passes thrown without an interception by a rookie. We need to see how good Williams can be with some protection. Furthermore, the running game could be so much better with a line that could open holes.

The entire interior line has to be improved. Coleman Shelton was not the man Williams needed at center. He should be better as a backup, both at center and the guard spots. At right guard, the Bears had Nate Davis. he was so bad that the team cut him in the middle of the season.

A decision looms over left guard Teven Jenkins. He is on the same boat as Brisker. He has missed too many games to be consistently helpful. He was on the final year of his rookie deal but he missed three full games and a few partial games. To put it in perspective, his 14 games played were the most in his career.

The Chicago Bears have to make a splash here. The offensive line has been a dark spot for the offense for far too long. It is time for the team to show that they are finally serious about fixing the unit. They could pick up a big-time player to change the discussion around the offensive line.

Trey Smith is the biggest name who could be available via free agency. Signing the Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion would be a big move for the Chicago Bears. Brandon Scherff, another very good player, could also be available for the Bears.

One interesting name could be Kevin Zeitler. He played with the Detroit Lions so he understands what Johnson wants for his offense. Zeitler could be a big help in getting the new faces on the same page. He could also come at a good price.

The Bears could also make a big move by adding a first round draft pick to the unit. They could pick up Kelvin Banks Jr or Will Campbell, the top two offensive linemen prospects in the draft. While Braxton Jones has had some good play in his career, there are times when he gets overwhelmed. Jones could make a transition to left guard, thus replacing Jenkins there.

Replacing nearly the entire offensive line is huge. However, it is needed. Also, it is not unprecedented. Remember the Kansas City Chiefs when they lost the Super Bowl in 2020. It was obvious that the offensive line was lacking and the next season they had one of the best offensive line units in the league.

Who was in the Kansas City front office when that happened? None other than Poles. He saw how it was done then. He could do the same in Chicago this offseason. That is something needed as many felt he ignored the offensive line last offseason. He could turn the table on that talk and the result could be a high-flying offense.

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