With the NFL offseason almost wrapped up and training camp coming to a close soon, it’s a good time to take a look at each NFL team’s offseason recap as we get just a few weeks away from the start of the regular season. Let’s take a look at the Chicago Bears’ new team and analyze the team’s incoming and outgoing players as they shape up for the 2026 season.
After years of disappointment and underwhelming performances, the Bears looked to have entered a new era after their successful 2025 season led by first-year head coach Ben Johnson, where the Bears went 11-6 before falling to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime of the Divisional Round playoff game. It was an ultra-successful season for the Bears, and the Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams combo has seemingly shifted the identity of the Bears going into the 2026 season.
The Bears made two big additions to their defense, signing Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal and Devin Bush to a three-year, $30 million deal. Bryant is coming off of a 2025 season with the Super Bowl champions Seattle Seahawks, where he had a career-high four interceptions last season. He’s currently on injured reserve, however, after suffering a knee injury, but could be back in the secondary for the Bears late this season.
The addition of linebacker Devin Bush was also a big one, especially after Tremaine Edmunds departed. Bush spent the 2025 season with the Browns in what was a career season for him, totaling 125 tackles and three interceptions, both career-highs.
The Bears also brought in center Garrett Bradbury to solidify the interior offensive line. Bradbury was acquired from the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick, and he now gives Chicago an experienced veteran at center after Drew Dalman retired following the 2025 season.
Although the Bears are still well-positioned to succeed again in 2026, they did lose quite a few impactful veterans in free agency. The first of their main losses was DJ Moore, who was traded to the Buffalo Bills for a 2026 second-round pick, with Chicago also giving up a fifth-round pick. Although Moore had been one of Caleb Williams’ main weapons since arriving in Chicago, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and the newly-signed Kalif Raymond should take on bigger roles in his absence.
The Bears also lost numerous starters on defense, including Tremaine Edmunds, Gervon Dexter Sr., Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. Edmunds was released before signing a three-year, $36 million deal with the New York Giants after spending the past three seasons with Chicago, where he had 100+ total tackles in each season. Dexter Sr., a former Bears 2023 second-round pick, was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for cornerback Clark Phillips III and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Dexter Sr. played in all 17 games for the Bears last year and had a career-high six sacks.
The biggest hit to a specific Bears’ position group was their safety unit, which lost both Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. Brisker was a starter and key member of the Bears’ secondary ever since he was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Bears. He signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency.
Byard may be the biggest loss to the Bears’ defense, as he had a career season in 2025, earning both Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors and also earning the NFL’s interception leader title with seven interceptions. Losing two quality veteran safeties in Brisker and Byard won’t be easy to replace, and it will be key to see how the Bears’ secondary fares this season if they hope to make another playoff run.
The Bears immediately made efforts to solve their safety hole within their defense by using their first-round selection to draft safety Dillon Thieneman out of Oregon. Thieneman was a highly versatile and rangy player for the Ducks last season and has experience playing deep safety and rotating into the box when needed. Thieneman will be relied on immediately to support the secondary after Brisker and Byard’s departures.
Chicago also used their second-round pick on Iowa center Logan Jones. Iowa has a storied history of talented offensive linemen who have gone on to find success at the NFL level, and although he may not start right away due to the Bears acquiring Bradbury over the offseason, Jones has the potential to turn into a pro-ready center in the future.
The Bears also selected tight end Sam Roush (No. 69), receiver Zavion Thomas (No. 89) and cornerback Malik Muhammad (No. 124) in the middle rounds.
Overall, the Bears’ offseason period can be defined by their decision to sacrifice some proven veteran talent for younger players and future flexibility. The Bears lost a multitude of starters, namely on the defensive side, but were also active in free agency and added numerous young talents through the draft to replace them.
Despite the losses to the defense, the offense looks primed to put up career numbers, as the Bears already scored 59 points in Week 1 against the Panthers, and it should only get more comfortable from here as Caleb Williams and his weapons seem to be meshing together better in Year 2 under Ben Johnson. While there are still some underrated pieces on defense for the Bears, their season may rely on their ability to outscore their opponents in competitive shootouts and whether Caleb Williams can take his game to the next level in Year 3.
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