Bear Digest

4 realistic 2025 NFL free agency predictions for the Chicago Bears

2025 NFL free agency begins on March 10, and the Chicago Bears are set to be one of the most active teams. Here are four reasonable predictions for what GM Ryan Poles might do.
Bryan Perez|
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The Chicago Bears have already been one of the busiest teams of the 2025 NFL offseason. After completing trades for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney and former Pro-Bowl lineman Jonah Jackson, Chicago's 2025 free agency focus has shifted.

GM Ryan Poles will still aggressively target offensive line upgrades, especially at center. However, trading for Thuney and Jackson lessens the need for multiple free-agent signings up front.

The Bears own the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which is the most likely way they'll add a contender for the starting left tackle job. And with two picks in the top 10 of the second round, Poles should have little trouble finding a quality pass rusher to complement Montez Sweat on Day 2.

Still, the Chicago Bears will be active in free agency, and they could target some veterans who haven't been linked to the team all that much.

Here are four realistic predictions for free-agency moves Poles and the Bears could make in 2025.

Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman (67) stands on the field before the game
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Bears sign center Drew Dalman

It's fair to say Chicago Bears fans will be massively disappointed if Dalman isn't a Bear by the end of the first day of the 2025 negotiation window. The consensus top center in free agency, Dalman is the primary target for Poles to complete what's already been a massive offensive line overhaul.

Dalman won’t come cheap, with projections around four years, $56 million. The Bears have the cap space to afford it, making a failure to sign Pro Football Focus' fourth-highest-graded center inexcusable.

Detroit Lions defensive end Levi Onwuzurike (91) runs onto the field against the Kansas City Chiefs
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Bears sign defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike

Chicago will sign a former Detroit Lion (or two). There's no doubt about that. And if we connect the dots between positions of need and quality Lions free agents, we end up with Onwuzurike.

Onwuzurike was healthy in 2024 and proved to be an important piece to Dan Cambell's defensive line rotation. The Bears have starters Gervon Dexter and Andre Billings in place, but Onwuzurike would represent another starting-level defender who'd bolster the interior of the defensive line.

Onwuzurike is projected to receive a two-year, $16.5 million contract. It's a bargain for a player with connections to Ben Johnson and a strong history in the NFC North.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars
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Bears sign wide receiver Elijah Moore

Sure, this one seems like a surprise, but Chicago doesn't have an established WR3, and at only 25 years old, Moore still has upside as a quality playmaker if used correctly.

At one point early in his New York Jets career, Moore looked like an ascending star. But he became disgruntled in New York and was dealt to the Cleveland Browns for a second-round pick in 2023, where he wasn't awful.

Moore totaled 61 catches for 538 yards and one touchdown in 2024. He's projected to sign a prove-it deal in free agency, which is exactly what the Bears should be shopping for at WR3.

Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams (33) runs the ball
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Bears sign running back Javonte Williams

The 2025 NFL Draft is loaded at running back, but I have a sneaky suspicion Chicago will target Williams to be the thunder to D'Andre Swift's lightning. Signing Williams won't stop the Bears from adding a running back in the early rounds, but it also would allow Poles flexibility to wait an extra round or two before feeling like he has to select one.

Williams is projected to receive a contract paying roughly $3.5 million per season. If he inks a one or two-year deal, he'll be another veteran bargain who will be just 25 years old this season.

Javonte Williams wasn't a fit in Sean Payton's running back by committee in Denver, totaling just 139 carries for 513 yards and four touchdowns. He's fully healthy entering the 2025 season and still has a ton of upside left in his legs.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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