Chicago Bears veteran lineman dubbed free agent they can't afford to lose in 2025

The Chicago Bears offensive line was terrible in 2024, but this veteran played well enough to potentially return in 2025.

Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears left no doubt this week that the offensive line will be a primary position group that general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson will focus on improving this offseason.

And why wouldn't it? Caleb Williams was sacked an infuriating 68 times -- the most in the NFL -- and except for right tackle Darnell Wright, there's no starter on the offensive line who's worthy of keeping their job.

But fixing the Bears' offensive line isn’t as simple as starting from scratch. Quality offensive linemen are hard to come by, so when a team has a veteran who can serve as a reliable backup or an emergency starter, they’re often worth holding onto.

That guy for the Bears is right guard Matt Pryor, who Pro Football Focus dubbed the player Chicago cannot afford to lose this offseason.

"Pryor is a versatile player who performed well in pass protection as the Bears’ primary right guard in 2024," Dalton Wasserman wrote. "His 78.1 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked second best among qualified right guards, placing him behind only Broncos star Quinn Meinerz. Interior protection will be critical for Caleb Williams' success, and Pryor provided that this season."

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

For Bears fans, this simply means that Chicago doesn’t have any must-keep veterans heading into this offseason.

Sure, Pryor was serviceable in 2024. He wasn’t the worst player on the offensive line, but he also wasn’t as good as his PFF grades might suggest. His heavy-footed, slow-twitch play style made him a liability as a weekly starter, even if his overall pass-blocking grade looked solid on paper.

Right now, the Bears’ offensive line falls squarely into the 'beggars can’t be choosers' category. They can’t rule out the possibility of Pryor returning as a starter in 2025—he might be the best option they can find in free agency

I expect Chicago to pursue Kansas City Chiefs pro bowler Trey Smith with full guns blazing (assuming he doesn't get the franchise tag), as well as Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman. They're the big-ticket free agents.

Pryor, meanwhile, will be a second (or third) wave-free agent. If he does return to the Chicago Bears, it'll be because the team swung and missed on much bigger targets.

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