Bear Digest

Four Underrated Free Agents the Bears Need For a Super Bowl Run

The Bears will need more than just a new rookie class if their goal is to compete for a championship.
Pete Martuneac|
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

While NFL fans are by now well into mock drafting season, free agency is up next in the NFL offseason calendar, with the legal tampering period set to open up in exactly three weeks. Last year, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles made a splash by signing center Drew Dalman almost immediately, a player who proved pivotal to Chicago's revamped offensive line. This was after Poles had already swung trades for guards Jonah Jackson and Jue Thuney, who won the NFL's inaugural Protector of the Year award.

Can Ryan Poles make some similar splashes again in 2026? He'll have to if he wants to see the Bears improve on their playoff run from last season, which ended with a heartbreaking Divisional round loss to the Rams. The Bears have expectations for the first time since 2018 now, and they can't afford a step-back season.

With that in mind, here are four underrated free agents that could prove instrumental to keeping the Bears' momentum surging through 2026.

1. Alex Anzalone - Linebacker, Detroit Lions

I still believe that moving on from linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is a mistake that Ryan Poles must avoid in free agency in 2026, but if they do release him, the Bears will need an experienced linebacker to take his place as the leader of the defense, and they don't even have to look outside the division to find the perfect answer.

Like Edmunds, Alex Anzalone wears the green dot on his helmet for Detroit, meaning he is the on-field signal caller, and sports a captain's patch on his jersey, too. While he missed seven games in 2024, he played in at least 16 games in three of the last four seasons, so he's sturdy. And in 2025, Anazlone finished second among all linebackers for pressure rate.

According to Spotrac, the market value for Anzalone is just $7.3 million, less than half of what Edmunds' cap hit would be in 2026. If he hits the open market and the Bears move on from Edmunds for salary cap relief, this union just makes too much sense.

2. Jaylinn Hawkings - Safety, New England Patriots

It's unlikely that the Bears bring back both of their starting safeties in 2026, and at this point, it seems likely that All-Pro Kevin Byard III will be back while Jaquan Brisker will be allowed to walk. While there's some good safety options for the Bears in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft, it would be foolish to rely fully on a rookie immediately making an impact. That's where Hawkins comes in.

Hawkins has played each of the last two seasons on one-year deals with the New England Patriots, but coming off a Super Bowl run as a member of a dominant defense, the 2020 fourth-round pick will be looking for a payday. If the Patriots allow him to walk, the Bears should be the first team that comes calling with an offer. Hawkins had a career year in 2025, pulling in four interceptions and allowing a passer rating of just 73.7 when targeted, making him an ideal starter for Chicago's secondary.

Hawkin's Spotrac market value of $8.3 million is a tad pricey but should still be quite a bit less than what the Bears would have to pay Brisker.

Jaylinn Hawkin
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

3. John Franklin-Myers Defensive Tackle, Denver Broncos

The Broncos have been doling out some expensive contracts in recent years, making Franklin-Myers a potential salary cap casualty despite his outstanding level of play. While not the most explosive or destructive defensive tackle in the NFL, he's ruthlessly consistent. From 2020 through 2024, Franklin-Myers recorded at least 50 quarterback pressures, and he added at least seven sacks in each of his two seasons with Denver.

The Bears' defensive line is in desperate need of help in 2026, and it would be a mistake to rely solely on help from a rookie class. Franklin-Myers would bring elite upside to Dennis Allen's defense at a bargain rate, with Spotrac's market value for the 29-year-old expected to be just $7.9 million.

John Franklin-Myer
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

4. Braxton Jones - Offensive Tackle, Chicago Bears

Whatever happens in 2026, the last thing the Bears can afford is a regression in offensive line protection, which could lead to a step back for Caleb Williams, and Ozzy Trapilo's devastating injury in the Wild Card round has opened the door to that potential scenario. Left tackle is a huge need for the Bears once again, but I think the answer is already in the building. For now.

Braxton Jones, a fifth-round draft pick in 2022, started at left tackle for the better part of three years. In that time, he earned an 80.2 overall PFF grade and a 76.1 pass-blocking grade, each of which was a Top 20 mark for all offensive tackles. But a brutal lower leg injury in December of 2024 ended his season, and he was still not 100% at the start of 2025. But he'll be nearly two full years removed from that injury when the 2026 season begins and should be back to the best version of himself by then, or at least something close to that.

With an expected Spotrac market value of just $4.8 million, signing Jones back into Halas Hall is a no-brainer to me, especially since there's not likely a better option that wouldn't cost a fortune in free agency or require a massive trade-up in the draft.

Braxton Jone
Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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