Bears Named Potential Suitor for Bargain Free Agent Safeties After Roster Cuts

With injuries mounting in the secondary, the Chicago Bears could use one of these free agent safeties.

Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp on the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles deserves credit for how he rebuilt the safety position group this offseason, but a major injury threw a wrench into the works. Despite early reports that safety Coby Bryant would only miss eight to 10 weeks after being carted off the practice field last month, the Bears hit a worst-case scenario when he ended up needing knee surgery which will sideline him for three to four months.

The Bears addressed this when they signed veteran safety Xavier Woods to a one-year deal, but they're still perilously thin at this position. Remember, one of their projected starters is rookie Dillon Thieneman, and they also have an undrafted rookie free agent behind him on the depth chart. For a team hoping to compete for a Super Bowl in 2026, that's not an ideal depth situation in their secondary.

It makes sense then that NFL analyst Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report would name the Bears as a potential suitor for three bargain bin free agent safeties made available after the roster cutdown deadline on Sunday: Taylor Rapp, Geno Stone, and Lonnie Johnson. Geno Stone has already been signed back to the Bills' practice squad, but Rapp and Johnson are both interesting options.

The case for Chicago to sign Rapp

Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp attempts a tackle at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

I actually mentioned Rapp as an option for the Bears already when discussing how undrafted rookie Skyler Thomas' elite preseason grade may not be enough to keep him on the roster for long. Rapp, a second-round pick from the 2019 NFL draft, is a quality veteran who's played in 93 games, including three playoff games. While he's never been a game-changing playmaker, he never went a season without an interception until last year, when an injury shortened his season to just six games.

The Bears are simply too short on experienced safeties to not strongly consider signing Rapp. Selecting Thieneman may have been the biggest Round 1 heist of the 2026 NFL draft, but he's still just a rookie who needs time to find his way at the next level. Rapp would not only be a good mentor for Thieneman but would raise the floor of the Bears' safety room dramatically.

The case for Chicago to sign Johnson

Las Vegas Raiders safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. breaks up a pass at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lonnie Johnson Jr. has bounced around the NFL a good bit since he was, like Rapp, a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft. In fact, he's looking for his sixth team in as many years. But the Bears wouldn't need him to be a long-term starter in their secondary. By signing Johnson, who has appeared in 92 games and two playoff games, they would simply be raising the floor of this unit and bringing more experience to the table.

Plus, Johnson is originally from Gary, Indiana. In case you've been living under a rock for the past year, Indiana continues to look like the next home of the Chicago Bears as belated efforts to keep the Bears in Illinois are unlikely to work. Ryan Poles has shown a penchant for signing hometown players, so Johnson would be another feather in his cap.

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