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Chicago Bears among three likely landing spots for Pro Bowl left tackle in NFL free agency

The Chicago Bears are set to make a major investment in their offensive line during 2025 free agency and were recently named one of the top three contenders to land this Pro Bowl left tackle.
Bryan Perez|
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The 2025 NFL Combine is off and running, and with it comes heightened speculation about trades and free agency signings in what will soon be a frenzy of roster moves.

The Chicago Bears are among the teams expected to be highly active in 2025 free agency. GM Ryan Poles spoke with the media in Indianapolis on Tuesday, confirming this year's free agent class offers plenty of opportunities to address Chicago’s key needs.

Poles also hinted that left tackle is one of those need areas. However, he stopped short of naming Braxton Jones the Bears' 2025 starter, noting that Jones is still recovering from his significant lower-leg injury and that the left tackle position will be decided through an open competition.

One potential free agent the Bears could target to replace Jones and eliminate any competition at left tackle is Baltimore Ravens star Ronnie Stanley. In fact, Chicago was recently named one of three likely landing spots for the 2024 Pro Bowler.

"The Bears have been trying to get by with a patchwork offensive line for years, and it’s about to cost GM Ryan Poles his position," Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame wrote. "Poles must invest heavily and has the cap space to do it, sitting on approximately $62.9 million. There’s a world where Chicago doubles down on the line, signing a left tackle such as Stanley before looking inward to upgrade at guard."

Stanley, 30, carries significant injury risk for any team that signs him in free agency. He played just 31 games from 2020 to 2023 before proving his durability by staying healthy for all 17 games last season.

Ronnie Stanley is expected to land a two-year, $41.3 million contract in 2025 free agency, a price the Bears can afford but must approach with caution. If his injury troubles are truly behind him, he’d be a no-brainer addition. However, Poles must be confident that the former Golden Domer can stay healthy for the remainder of his career.

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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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