Multiple Bears DBs have earned a high pay day, plus a quick look at the other pending free agents with the offseason underway
The Bears will have some important decisions to make with who the team decides to bring back, or not.
The offseason is officially underway for the Chicago Bears after an abrupt ending to the team’s postseason, and Super Bowl hopes, in the first year under head coach Ben Johnson.
Now comes the hard part. All of the previous work you put in goes out the window and it’s time to turn to a blank chapter. And the Bears are going to have to make some major improvements to this team in order to get over that hump in 2026.
Johnson has already lost one staff member and has to begin the search for a new RBs coach. As for the roster, the Bears will have some serious decisions to make regarding which players to bring back, and which players to let go. Let’s get the offseason underway by breaking down the team’s 26 pending free agents.
Bears unrestricted free agents (22)
- S Kevin Byard
- S Jaquan Brisker
- CB Nahshon Wright
- WR Olamide Zaccheaus
- DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson
- OT Braxton Jones
- DE Dominique Robinson
- QB Case Keenum
- DT Andrew Billings
- LB D’Marco Jackson
- WR Devin Duvernay
- S Elijah Hicks
- CB Nick McCloud
- IOL Ryan Bates
- DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
- LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
- S Jonathan Owens
- TE Durham Smythe
- DL Chris Williams
- RB Travis Homer
- DB Jaylon Jones
- LS Scott Daly
The majority of the team’s defensive back room is currently on this list, showing the first position group the Bears need to target. Right now, Chicago only has six defensive backs under contract (all cornerbacks) and three of the seven pending free agents listed above were starters for this defense.
Starting off with the easy decision, Kevin Byard isn’t going anywhere. There is mutual interest in extending the All-Pro safety and I’d wager the Bears look to sign him to a 2-year deal with some kind of option for the second season. His elite leadership is critical for this team and after showing his play is still at an elite level, it’s a no-brainer decision for me.
The hard decision is what the Bears do with Jaquan Brisker and Nahshon Wright. Both players have expressed interested in returning to Chicago but the Bears would have a lot of money tied up in the secondary with Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Byard. Brisker had his best game of his career on Sunday to finish out a season in which he played 19 games, which in theory answers the only questions the front office had about him. As for Wright, he overperformed on a one-year deal and made the most of his opportunity this season. Both players have earned high pay days somewhere, but I’m leaning the Bears won’t be the team that pays either player.
Quick words on some other players. I’d love to see Case Keenum back and continue teaching Caleb Williams, Johnson would love to have him on the staff and maybe that’s possible if Keenum is up to it and J.T. Barrett leaves for another job. I’m sure Dennis Allen will re-sign D’Marco Jackson, he was a valuable linebacker and the team needs depth with T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell entering the offseason rehabbing from major injuries. Everyone else are depth players you can easily replace.
Bears restricted free agents (2)
- LB Noah Sewell
- DE Daniel Hardy
Restricted free agents are a little bit tricky. According to Over The Cap, the projected RFA tenders for 2026 are: first-rounder ($7.893 million), second-rounder ($5.658 million), and rights of first refusal ($3.453 million). If a player signs the tender offered by the team, it’s a one-year deal but another team and offer a long-term contract that the Bears can match.
Considering Sewell is coming off a torn Achilles and Daniel Hardy wasn’t a starter, I see the Bears making both players unrestricted free agents, by not offering the tender, which would then allow the team to bring back either player on a cheaper deal. Hardy was one of the team’s standout players on special teams, I can see the Bears going that route with him.
Bears exclusive-rights free agents (2)
- OT Theo Benedet
- OL Jordan McFadden
With the ERFAs, the decision is easy for the Bears. You just apply the ERFA tender, which is the price of the minimum salary, and then the player has no option but accept or retire. In a rare case, teams could look to instead extend an ERFA if the player has earned a higher pay day than the minimum.
For Theo Benedet and Jordan McFadden, I see the Bears just offering the tender. Both players are valuable pieces to this offensive line. Benedet made eight total starts for Chicago this season and keeping him give the team some security while Ozzy Trapilo recovers from his patellar tendon injury. McFadden stepped up in a big way and showed what he can do as well starting at LG on Sunday.
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