The Chicago Bears are entering their offseason with nearly $80 million in cap space, fourth-most in all of the NFL. If they’re serious about getting back into playoff contention, they’ll be scouring the market for the best free agents available.
Ryan Poles hasn’t been afraid to spend in the past. He signed D’Andre Swift and Jaylon Johnson to a contract extension in 2024 after signing Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards. As he looks towards 2025 free agency, Poles is looking to once again be aggressive and put the Bears in a position to succeed, via the GM’s Tuesday press conference.
“The clearer the vision, the more aggressive you can be,” Poles said. “You want to be selective in free agency. Historically it can tell you and you can learn from that. But if there’s certain players that hit all the checked boxes you need, there’s really no reason to hold back and I feel like you can be aggressive in those situations.”
With so many needs on the roster, it’s clear one or two free agents may not be enough. However, if the Bears are able to land elite players at their position, they’ll be much closer to getting back into the playoffs.
Ryan Poles ready for Chicago Bears ‘fresh start’
The 2025 season marks Poles’ fifth year at the helm of the Bears. However, he still views the new campaign as a ‘fresh start.’ He isn’t taking any failures from the 2024 season and is ready to see the new version of Chicago Bears with Ben Johnson at head coach.
“It’s a fresh start, I don’t really believe you can take momentum or anything like that from one year to the next. You really have to start over and build from the ground up,” Poles said. “Obviously the more continuity you have with contracts, that’s helpful. We can be aggressive in the way we approach this offseason, and get players in here who can help us take it to the next level.”
Chicago is in need of a fresh start. While the Matt Eberflus era saw him set Bears history by being the first head coach mid-season, there hasn’t been much success around the team in recent years. Their last playoff appearance came in 2020, when they lost in the Wild Card Round. In fact, the last time they advanced past the Wild Card Round was 2010.
But Poles believe the winds of change are coming to the Windy City. With his head coach and quarterback in place, the general manager will do everything in his power to craft a powerful team around the pairing.
What must Bears spend on in free agency
First and foremost, in the trenches. Caleb Williams’ struggles as a rookie were well-documented. But a lot of the issue is that he got sacked a league-high 68 times. Spending big on offensive line ensures that doesn’t happen again in 2025.
Still, Chicago needs help on their defensive line as well. Their 40 sacks ranked right in the middle of the pack, but Montez Sweat leading the team with 5.5 sacks won’t scare many offenses. Adding an explosive edge rusher to pair with Sweat would then have quarterbacks seeing ghosts.
The Bears seem likely to upgrade at tight end, running back and wide receiver. They’ve already released Gerald Everett, and Keenan Allen is a free agent. While D’Andre Swift is still on the roster, Johnson will want a bit more firepower as he implements his roster. Outside of DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet and Swift, the Bears have room to grow on offense.
Outside of the defensive line, Chicago could take a look at their secondary. While Johnson is locked up, safety Jaquan Brisker has dealt with injuries while Kevin Byard is only getting older. Landing one of the better safeties in the league would change the Bears defensive identity.
Ultimately, Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears will have plenty of decisions to make in free agency. But knowing he plans on being aggressive in pursuing talent should shine a light towards the end of the Bears’ non-postseason tunnel.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is concerned with the defense
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