5 Offseason Moves the Chicago Bears Absolutely Must Make in 2026

The Bears have a few difficult decisions to make this offseason. Following three straight years of being near the top of the league in available salary cap, they are near the bottom of the list entering the 2026 NFL offseason.

They are currently $15 million over the cap and will have to make a few moves (some of which are pretty obvious) to get under the cap. They also have a few glaring weaknesses on the defensive side of the ball that will need to be addressed via free agency and the draft.

Some think they will make a big splash in free agency to take advantage of their wide-open Super Bowl window while Caleb Williams is still playing under his rookie contract. While I wouldn't hate the idea of Maxx Crosby donning the blue and orange, I don't think that's necessarily a necessity.

There are a few other moves they could make that are somewhat unquestionable, though. What should they definitely do this offseason to put themselves in their best position to succeed?

Release Tremaine Edmunds

Tremaine Edmunds celebrating a win over the Bengals — Nov 2, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49) acknowledges the crowd after defeating the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The Bears would save $15 million if they were to move on from Tremaine Edmunds this offseason. That feels like an easy decision for me since he's now entering the final year of his contract.

While Edmunds played extremely well over the first half of the season (he was an All-Pro candidate and near the league leaders in interceptions), he looked to have missed a step after returning from a hip injury late in the year. He looked much more like the player who was criminally overpaid during his first two seasons in Chicago than he did the All-Pro candidate from earlier in the year.

The Bears were able to get starter-quality play out of D'Marco Jackson and Amen Ogbongbemiga after Edmunds landed on IR. The odds of him remaining in Chicago beyond this season appear slim at best, with a few expiring rookie contracts on the horizon (including quarterback Caleb Williams).

Re-sign D'Marco Jackson

D'Marco Jackson sacks Shadeur Sanders — Dec 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker D'Marco Jackson (48) sacks Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Speaking of D'Marco Jackson, the Bears should definitely try to bring him back this offseason. Even if they somehow manage to keep Edmunds and his bulky contract around, Jackson would be well worth the humble price tag. He would be a great candidate to be brought back on a two-year, $5 or $6 million deal.

Jackson started four games in place of Edmunds and didn't skip a beat in the middle. He not only wore the green dot for the defense (which means he relayed the play calls to the rest of the squad), but you could make a case that he was their top-performing linebacker this season. He was consistently around the ball and was their best coverage 'backer by a relatively wide margin.

D’Marco Jackson was PFF’s 2nd highest graded LB in coverage this season, min 350 snaps
— Ilan (@ilannfl18) January 20, 2026

He also became the first Bears linebacker to be named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 15 performance against the Browns since Danny Trevathan achieved the honor in 2018. He finished the game with seven tackles, an interception, and a sack.

Re-sign Kevin Byard III

Kevin Byard III celebrates a sack against the Packers — Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; in Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard III (31) and defensive end Austin Booker (94) celebrate after sacking Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) during an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Kevin Byard III turned back the clock with an All-Pro campaign in his age-32 season. He finished the year with a league-leading seven interceptions and added eight pass deflections and 93 tackles. Byard was all over the field and undoubtedly their best defensive player. Still, you could make a case that his presence was even more essential to the locker room due to vocal leadership.

Unfortunately for Chicago, Byard is set to hit free agency. He is undoubtedly their most important resign candidate entering the offseason. Byard may be entering the twilight of his career, but he clearly hasn't shown any signs of slowing down just yet.

I've seen that he's projected to make somewhere around $8 or $9 million per year, but I think his deal will more likely be in the $11-12 million range. Whatever it may be, the Bears' front office absolutely cannot let him walk out the door. Pay the man!

Draft a defensive tackle and safety in the first two rounds of the draft

Kayden McDonald screaming on the field before the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game — Dec 6, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive lineman Kayden McDonald (98) reacts before the 2025 Big Ten championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Bears have two major weaknesses entering the offseason: Defensive tackle and safety. The interior of their defensive line was by far the most glaring weakness on the defensive side of the ball this season. Meanwhile, all five safeties on the roster are pending free agents.

Fortunately, this is a good year to need a safety (if you're willing to draft one early) and defensive tackle. The 2026 NFL Draft is loaded at both positions. I still need to do some more homework on the class, but I'm convinced they need to address both spots through the first two rounds as it stands right now. Four defensive tackles that would be worthy of the 25th pick if they're still on the board, and a few safeties would also make sense at that spot.

While I wouldn't be upset if they felt urged to add a certified beast off the edge in either the first or the second round, I'm not sure that would be the best use of their resources. Austin Booker showed a lot of promise this season, and that was with limited help on the interior. I think prioritizing the defensive tackle position could get the most out of everyone on the line.

Let Nahshon Wright walk in free agency

Nahshon Wright celebrates a fumble recovery against the Eagles — Nov 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright (26) celebrates after recovering a fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

This one is unfortunate based on how well Nahshon Wright played this season, but the fact of the matter is, business decisions have to be made. While I don't expect Wright to necessarily be a one-year wonder (his big play ability and penchant for takeaways were legit this year), he is the type of player who could get overpaid on the open market.

He's coming off a Pro Bowl season, nabbed five interceptions, three fumble recoveries, and forced two more of them. He's been projected to sign a deal somewhere around $12-16 million. While that would be worth it for someone who has sustained their level of play over a few years, Wright doesn't fit that billing. He had three career starts and played a combined 269 snaps over his first four years entering the season.

For the sake of comparison, Kyler Gordon makes $13.3 million annually as the league's highest-paid nickelback. I know they play slightly different positions, with Gordon playing in the slot and Wright on the outside, but that puts the projection into perspective. One player has been one of the league's best slot cover men, and the other was on the Vikings practice squad during the 2024 NFL season.

He made a lot of clutch plays this season, but that's an easy pass.