Grading the signing: Bears make a veteran defender their first free agent signing and it shows how the team feels about the 2026 NFL Draft class
The Chicago Bears are expected to strike quick on an interior defensive lineman.
The Chicago Bears have their first reported free agent signing and it’s far from the name anyone expected but the team did address the expected position early in the legal tampering period.
According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, the Bears are expected to sign defensive tackle Neville Gallimore to a two-year, $12 million deal. Gallimore was a third-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 and has since spent time with the Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts.
Interior defensive line was always the real need for the Bears defense this offseason
The Bears were connected to numerous top edge rushers this offseason such as Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson but instead land a value deal on an interior defensive lineman. That shows where the team believed the real need was on the defensive front.
Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr. simply weren’t good enough last season with Andrew Billings and Chris Williams set to depart in free agency. Off the edge, the Bears are likely comfortable for the time being with Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Shemar Turner. Finding another addition was always going to be a priority. Can Gallimore be enough to fix things is the question.
Gallimore is coming off a 3.5 sack season with the Colts and had the third-highest pass rush grade (70.2) on the team, so he fits best as a rotational pass rusher on the inside. However, Gallimore had a concerning 45.8 run defense grade in 2025. The upside is that this guy’s only missed four games in four years, so he’s dependable in that aspect. It felt like there were certainly better options to consider and $6 million a year seems pretty rich for a DT3 at best.
Grade: C-
EDGE is clearly going to be more of a draft priority for the Bears
Back at the NFL Scouting Combine, Poles hinted that signing an interior free agent would be the move when discussing the incoming defensive line class.
“From what we know now – and not until we leave here to gather information from medical and interviews to have complete clarity on the draft – but as it sits right now, I feel like the EDGE is deeper than the interior,” Poles explained.
The Bears could still look to sign an EDGE in free agency, but all signs point toward Chicago finding a rookie to develop and bring some explosiveness off the edge after making this signing.
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