Bear Digest

Chicago Bears named one of NFL's most improved teams after 2025 offseason moves

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is one of the biggest winners of the 2025 NFL offseason, as praise continues for his roster upgrades.
Bryan Perez|
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Few teams made as many massive upgrades to their roster as the Chicago Bears this offseason, making general manager Ryan Poles one of the NFL's biggest winners.

The list of the Bears' upgrades has been well-documented. All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney? Check. Former All-Pro right guard Jonah Jackson? Yep, check. The top center available in free agency, Drew Dalman? He was added too.

Chicago's improvements weren't limited to the offense, either. Poles gifted the defense with a new edge rusher, Dayo Odeyingbo, and one of the NFL's most respected defensive tackles, Grady Jarrett.

Even some smaller moves, like adding wide receivers Olamide Zaccheus and Devin Duvernay, will pay dividends in the regular season.

As a result, Sports Illustrated ranked the Bears fourth among the most improved teams from the 2025 NFL offseason.

Drew Dalman (67) stands on the field before the game
Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

"On paper, the Bears drastically improved their offensive line by signing Dalman, the best available free-agent center, and trading for possibly the best guard in the game after landing Thuney from Kansas City," Gilberto Manzano wrote. "Chicago also took a chance on Jackson, who is reunited with coach Ben Johnson after being benched by the Los Angeles Rams months after being a prize free agent. But GM Ryan Poles has made a few notable offensive line moves in the past that haven’t panned out on the field. The Bears can assure themselves that this year will be different by adding more protection for Caleb Williams through the draft." 

The Broncos, Commanders, and Patriots rank ahead of the Bears on SI's list, and while all three of those teams certainly made strides this offseason, the impact of Chicago's revamped offensive line can't be overstated.

Remember: it wasn't long ago that Caleb Williams was drafted by the Bears to be the first true franchise quarterback in team history. And after a rookie season that was lowlighted by 68 sacks, the expected improvement in his pass protection should lead to results in 2025 that match the expectations he entered the league in 2024 with.

It's a good time to be a Chicago Bears fan. And it will get even better after Ryan Poles adds a blue-chip player to the roster with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

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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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